A Summer in the Life of Draco
by Emily S
Summary: A wedding? At Malfoy Manor? Draco is convinced his summer is done for. Until SHE shows up. Significant plot changes from Schnoogle posting! Read&Review please!
1. Chapter 1

**A Summer in the Life of Draco**

Draco Malfoy stirred in the early morning light. He was awake, but he did not open his eyes just yet. It was his first day home from Hogwarts. He breathed in the familiar smell that was his room. He could smell his cologne on his clothes, the white roses Narcissa insisted he keep on his bedside table, and the smell of the forest outside his window.

Malfoy Manor was set on over one hundred acres of private forest. Draco had a private Quidditch pitch, a stable that housed his father's many prized species of horses, a large guesthouse, and a large lake where he had learned to swim. He decided that sleeping-in would not be an option. There was no doubt in his mind that Narcissa, his overly protective mother, had ordered the servants to create a lavish breakfast in his honor.

Draco pulled his blanket off and rubbed his eyes. It felt good to be back in his house again. He sauntered across his room. He stopped by the tank that held his black snake, Angerona. She was a black Egyptian cobra that Lucius Malfoy had given his son on his fourteenth birthday. She was curled on a rock getting some sun. Like many Slytherins, he found beauty in snakes that he could not describe. Draco watched her fondly as she slithered off the rock and along the wall of the tank. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and was once again thankful to be home.

He opened his door and walked down the extravagant staircase that led into the Manor entry hall. It was tiled in black stone and was constantly shiny. The intricately carved wood banister felt smooth to the touch. Tapestries were hung on the walls and contained the Malfoy family crest. He often forgot just how beautiful his house was.

He reached the bottom of the stairs, took a left, and walked the long hallway that led to the dining room. He stopped occasionally to look at the old family photos that were hung on the walls. He saw Lucius with Draco's grandfather, his parent's wedding portrait, and then he started to see the ones of him. The younger version of him was smiling and waving up at him from out of the frames. As he walked a little further, he saw the one picture that always made him stop and take notice.

The picture was of him when he was just a baby. His mother was holding him with his father standing close by her side. The two people looked so happy and were nothing like the people he knew. It was rare to see his father smiling anymore unless he was putting on the happy act for important Ministry officials. The people were waving up at him and then he saw the younger Lucius reach over and kiss Narcissa, so young and beautiful, on the cheek. He knew this was just an old picture, but it always got a lot of emotion out of him for some reason.

He walked into the dining hall to find Narcissa and Lucius sitting at the table. They were so unlike the people in the picture. Lucius had become a cold, bitter wizard and Narcissa… well, let's just say that he had been asked many times if that scowl she wore was permanent.

Lucius sat at the head of the table, like always. He had his nose buried in the _Daily Prophet_ and did not even look up to welcome his son. Narcissa was sitting to Lucius' right hand side reading one of her many romance novels. He didn't blame her. With Lucius for a husband, there must not be much romance in her life anymore. She looked up when he walked in and gave him a slight smile.

"Welcome home, Draco," she said with a bit of light-heartedness in her voice. Her long bleach-blonde hair was starting to gray in places and she was beginning to show the signs of wrinkles around her eyes. She had a comforting smile and was not as most would think. Narcissa had power, and she knew this. She was a well-trained witch from an old pureblood family. She knew never to question her husband's opinion and she knew when to speak and when not to.

In the Malfoy house, she could speak as freely as she wanted and was often light-hearted and a very devoted wife. She was proud to be married to a great man like Lucius and he was exactly the type of man her late father would have wanted her to end up with. The act she put on around her inferiors was nothing but that… an act. She was trained in the art of aristocracy and knew that she had a reputation to uphold.

Draco took his seat and ran his fingers through his hair again. His father glanced up from the paper he was reading and gave him a vicious scowl, his lip turned up in disgust.

"Draco, how many times have I told you to be dressed properly before you come down for breakfast?!" he said through gritted teeth. Draco looked down, realizing that he was wearing no shirt, and his Slytherin sweatpants were sagging very low and exposing his underwear. If there was one thing in this world that his father hated more than Mudbloods and muggles, it was wizards who sag their pants.

"Sorry, father. I'll remember that next time," he said trying not to start a fight on his first day of vacation. He decided that a quick change of subject was in order.

"So… how are things at the ministry?" Draco asked, hoping it would ease the tension. His father had not written much to him over his fifth year and he had to admit that he was curious to what Lucius had been up to over the past six months.

"Oh, things have been wonderful. Since that outburst at the Department of Mysteries, people have been looking at me funny. Luckily, I made it look as if I had just arrived. Still, I am working my tail off trying to get any tarnish off the Malfoy name. But enough about that," he added hastily, obviously not wanting to give his son too much information, even though he had given him nothing. "How were things at school?"

"We hear that you're the talk of the ministry. There are rumors going around that you received all 'O's on your O.W.L.'s," said Narcissa, trying to make small talk amongst her family. She glanced across the table at Draco. Her son had grown up to be quite a handsome young wizard. His bleach blonde hair had grown in the past year. In addition, he had filled out much more and matured beyond her imagination. His arms and neck were bigger and his shoulders had broadened considerably. He was slightly pale from his lack of sun exposure, but that would soon change. For a boy of just fifteen, he was quite polite. He also had the same steely gray eyes that she had seen only once before… he had the same eyes as the man she had fallen in love with all those years ago.

Lucius rang the bell that was at his side, calling the serving girl in. It seemed that they had found a new one in his absence. This one was an elderly woman that appeared to be in her late fifties. She wore the traditional black robes with the Malfoy crest on the chest that all the servers wore. The woman hustled into the dining hall and was carrying a large tray of French toast, pancakes, oatmeal, sausages, bacon, and eggs. Behind her, three goblets and a pitcher of orange juice were floating after her. She set the trays down and bowed her exit after pouring the juice into each Malfoy's silver goblets.

Draco ate at a hurried pace. He wanted to get on his broom and get flying again. There were rumors that he would be made the Quidditch captain next year and he wanted to be sure that he was at the top of his game. Draco Malfoy was not the kind to get out of shape just because he had three months to do whatever he wanted.

When he was halfway through his scrambled eggs, the maid hurried back in. She was holding a tray with the daily post on it. She set it in the middle of the table and made her way back into the kitchens. Lucius leafed through the mail looking curiously at some and tossing the others aside as if they were nothing. Draco hadn't expected any of those letters to be for him. He didn't really have any regular correspondents during the summer. Lucius stopped going through the mail and glanced curiously at one letter. He turned his gaze to Narcissa who was sipping on her orange juice. He grabbed the letter in question and held it out to her.

She took it and glanced at the name without one word to her husband. Her eyes got big and she began to tear the letter open. She took out a very long, thick piece of parchment and began to read it to herself, her eyes growing bigger with every sentence. Both Draco and Lucius had taken to watching her read the letter. Narcissa got a very happy look on her face and let out a slight screech of excitement and put the letter down, regaining her composure. She could tell that she was supposed to explain her reaction to the letter, so she began.

"That was a letter from Dominique," she said with a calm tone. Dominique Black was Narcissa's younger sister. Unlike Bellatrix and Narcissa, she had managed to stay away from anything having to do with the Dark Arts. She was not often talked about because of her "squeaky clean" image. Nevertheless, today Narcissa felt nothing but happiness for her younger sister.

"She has been seeing this man for around a year. He is from a very well respected pureblood line. It's lucky she found one… it's getting so hard to find a decent wizard with clean blood anymore… anyway, he asked her to marry her last night! I could not be happier… I must go write her back!" she said and with one final swish of her robes, she was gone to the study to write her reply.

"Wow… who is dumb enough to marry Dominique Black?" said Lucius, more to himself than Draco. Being alone with his short-tempered father didn't seem right to him, so he excused himself from the table and worked his way up to his room once more. He hadn't even bothered to take a shower this morning, so that was the first thing on his agenda. He waltzed into his bathroom and turned on the shower.

The showerhead was shaped like a serpent and water erupted from its mouth. He started humming a song he had heard on the W.W.N. last night. As he waited for the water to warm up, he took to staring at himself in the mirror. He had to admit, he was extremely good-looking. He was often told that he resembled his father when he was around Draco's age. He had a hard time believing it considering that Lucius now had long, white hair and a pointed nose. He also had a threatening gaze that would make anyone spill the beans faster than if they used Veritaserum. Draco could be threatening when he wanted to, but he refused to let himself be compared to his father.

The water had warmed up, so he stripped down and stepped into the shower. His bathroom was tiled in gray granite everywhere you looked. In the Malfoy household, nearly everything was dark. The only bit of color you could ever find were in the rooms that Narcissa had designed herself.

Draco's shower was rather large, so he walked around as he let the water run over him. He was thinking about the previous year. Luckily, he had managed to get rid of his overly clingy girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson, at the end of it. Like always, Harry Potter had managed to steal the spotlight once again with his show at the Department of Mysteries. He had also managed to steal the Snitch out from under his nose yet again… next year, this would not happen. "_He is always the one who out shines me… well next year, Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lives-To-Make-My-Life-A-Living-Hell, will have no chance against me… I'll show him what it means to be born with talent…" _Draco thought to himself.

He used his spicy-smelling body wash and rinsed himself off. Then, he climbed out of the shower and wrapped up in his black bathrobe. When he walked into the sitting room that was off his bedroom suit, he noticed that the house elves had brought up a tray of tea and pastries. He situated himself in front of the large French doors that led out onto the balcony. He sat down and grabbed the _Daily Prophet_. Nothing seemed to be too interesting, so he tossed it aside. Then he decided that a sip of tea would be a good idea.

He grabbed a cup and walked out onto the balcony. The early summer air was crisp and filled with moisture since it was still early in the morning. Off in the distance, he could see the Quidditch hoops raised high in the air. A little to left of that was the large river-rock stable that housed Lucius' prized animals. When Draco was young, Lucius had insisted that he learned to ride horses. "It is expected of you that you learn to ride a proper hunt seat," he had told Draco. The Malfoy stables didn't just contain your average horses. There were rare magical breeds as well: Abraxans, Aethonans, Granians, a Unicorn, and (a very rare and expensive breed) Pegasus. For obvious reasons, they were separated into two separate stables: magical and non-magical.

Draco polished off his tea and left for his room. He changed into his Quidditch robes and shouldered his new Firebolt. When he walked out to the backyard, he noticed that his mother had purchased a new fountain, which featured a centaur. He had to admit, it was beautiful.

He could fly to the pitch; it would be about ten times faster. However, he decided that a stroll through the forest was in order. The Unicorn that his grandfather had raised still roamed through it and was often friendly with Draco. The Unicorn was a lone stallion that went by the name of Brutus. Mr. Ollivander had used Brutus' hair once in a wand core. It was rumored that the wand it resided in had belonged to Cedric Diggory.

As Draco walked through the forest, he felt oddly at peace. It was summer and that meant no more schoolwork, no more problems, and, most importantly, no more Potter.

The sun was shining brightly on Draco's face. He halted in his path and breathed in deeply. It was weird. Every September he couldn't wait to leave this place, but every June he couldn't wait to get back. This had always been his home and it was the only one he ever wanted.

He continued once more down the path and stopped at the old oak tree where his mother and father's initials were carved. Draco often wondered what had happened to the romantic, caring person that his father used to be. If anyone could have had a personality transplant, it was Lucius Malfoy.

He watched as an owl flew overhead coming from the direction of Malfoy Manor. There was no doubt in his mind that it was the letter his mother had written back to his aunt Dominique. This was to be expected. Whenever a woman was going to be married, it was as if he was back at Hogwarts listening to the women rant and rave about their dresses and how they have fallen in love. Draco had never fallen in love. Not once in his fifteen years of existence. And he didn't plan on it any time soon.

For the next twenty minutes, he walked until he finally reached the Quidditch pitch. It was made entirely out of brick and towered over the trees of the surrounding forest. Luckily, there were a few varieties of concealment charms to keep it hidden from the prying eyes of muggles. As Draco approached the pitch, he saw someone in the air already flying. At once, he knew who it was and a huge smile broke free as he mounted his Firebolt and flew up to meet him.

Draco cut across the boy's path, causing him to swerve severally. "Hey Malfoy, that was uncalled for!" yelled the boy as he rode his broom over to meet him. Draco was doubled over in laughter.

"Yeah yeah, laugh all you want. You won't be laughing much longer once I knock you off your broom," said Chase Ackart in retort. Chase was the groom at the Malfoy's stables. He was twenty-one years old and had worked for the Malfoy's since he had graduated from Hogwarts four years ago. Chase had been the seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team in Draco's first year and had helped him train every summer since he made the team. In a way, he was like the big brother Draco never had.

"Well Chase, next time you should pay more attention to whose coming your way," said Draco as he rocked back and forth on his broomstick.

"Attacking the enemy with their back turned… that's lower than I expected even you to go, Draco," Chase said with a sly smile. Chase had had a bright future as a Seeker, but turned down every offer because his true love was Winged Horses. Most thought he was throwing his life away, but flying on a broom didn't have the same effect on him that flying on the back of Winged Horse did. He never did expect anyone to understand, but luckily he had found a job at Malfoy Manor… he just hadn't planned taking on the babysitting role on as well.

"Whatever… do you have the Snitch out?" Draco asked. It was time for a little friendly competition. Chase got a huge grin on his face and sped off around the pitch to one of the hoops.

"I'll take that as a yes," Draco said to himself as he, too, took off around the pitch. In a matter of twenty minutes, Chase had managed to capture the Snitch.

Draco left the pitch in a defeated huff. He managed to get away with only minor ridicule from Chase about how the Snitch had been on his tail for nearly two minutes. In the end, he decided that it was time to go home for a well-deserved nap.

It had been a week since summer's beginning and Draco had been having a decent time. Chase and he had done a few more Quidditch drills and gone for a fly on two of their favorite mares, but other than that, there had not been too much activity.

Draco sat in the family's library reading _A Serpent's Tale_ while his father worked at his desk. All of the sudden, Narcissa burst in holding a piece of parchment in her hand and had a very excited look on her face. Her intrusion had caused both Malfoy men to look up from their work and stare at this woman who looked slightly insane.

"Narcissa, what is the meaning of this?" asked Lucius, his voice calm.

"Dominique and I have been corresponding over the past week, and we have reached a conclusion. The wedding is to be held here, at Malfoy Manor!" said a very excited Narcissa. Lucius looked at her as if she was crazy. She obviously wanted a better reaction from her family, so Draco chimed in.

"That's fantastic, mother. I'm very happy for Aunt Dominique," he told her, trying to seem polite. "When will she be arriving here to make the adjustments?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Tomorrow! She and all her bridesmaids are coming and they are going to stay with us until the wedding! We decided that the wedding won't be held until August, so it gives us plenty of time to plan everything. John, her fiancé, won't come until about the middle of July, but everything is going to be perfect! Oh I just can't wait!" she said as she left the room. Draco and Lucius looked at each other and both shook their heads before returning to their work. Draco could have sworn he heard Lucius mutter something that sounded remarkably like "_Women…"_


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Draco woke reluctantly. His aunt Dominique and her bustle of bridesmaids were arriving today and he was not looking forward to it. For the rest of the summer, he would have to deal with women running around the house talking about dress robes, rings, and the color of napkins. It turns out that John Bancroft, Dominique's fiancé, had been one of Lucius' close friends at Hogwarts. Draco knew him very well. When he was little, John used to come over to the Manor and help Draco with his flying.

He lay under his blankets for a few minutes until his mother came into his room and shook him.

"Draco! Wake up! The girls will be here in one hour and I want you to meet them!" said Narcissa as she gently shook her son. Draco let out a groan.

"Mother… do I have to? I'm sure you ladies would love to reminisce about the good 'ol days without me," he said in his defense.

"Draco, get up, shower, get changed and I want you downstairs in thirty minutes or less. Have I made myself clear?" she asked. Draco rolled over and looked at her expression, realizing that she was making herself perfectly clear. He rolled out of bed.

"That's better," said his mother as she left the room. Narcissa one, Draco zero.

Draco did as he was told and took a shower. When he got out, he found it extremely difficult to find a pair of robes to wear. In the end, he decided that robes were the wrong way to go. Instead, he chose a pair of dark jeans and a black sweater.

He walked back into his bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His blonde hair was out of place and still wet. He grabbed a towel and dried it. He looked all through his bathroom, but couldn't find his hair gel anywhere. He left his room in a huff, walked to the other side of the house to his parent's room, and found his father's gel in there. He borrowed a bit of Lucius' high-class cologne and went downstairs to find his mother.

Narcissa was walking around the living room straightening pillows. Draco walked up behind her and gave her a huge hug, nearly scaring her half to death.

"Draco! I thought you were your father. Are you wearing his cologne?" she asked. Lucius had worn the same cologne for nearly ten years. He had it specially made for him by a woman in Diagon Alley.

"Yes, I am. Don't you agree that it's a nice blend on me?" he asked, flashing a sarcastic a smile. His mother was so oblivious to sarcasm that it made him want to laugh.

Draco was now six inches taller than his petite mother. They looked very much alike except for his eyes. Much like Lucius, Draco's eyes could mask any emotion he was feeling. They could also give away any emotion he was feeling. She called them "chameleon eyes." They could hide everything, yet giveaway so much.

Narcissa glanced at the clock. "They should be here any minute!" she screeched. It was almost ten o'clock.

"How are they getting here?" he asked. He had failed to ask this question at dinner the night before.

"Floo Powder, I believe. I had the house elves sweep the chimney this morning," she replied. It was a happy day for her. She hadn't seen her sister Dominique in years.

Just as soon as she had spoken those words, the clock struck ten. In a matter of seconds, they heard a whooshing noise and out of the fire popped Draco's Aunt Dominique. Narcissa let out a scream and ran to hug her. Dominique was as petite as her big sister was. The only difference was that she had black hair like Bellatrix. About a minute after Dominique arrived, a woman Draco couldn't put a name on popped out of the fire.

"Melanie Stone!" yelled Narcissa as she ran at the woman. She was slightly taller than Narcissa with brown hair and a beautiful face. She was wearing navy blue robes and her hair was pulled up into a tight bun on the top of her head.

"Melanie, it's great to see you again! It's been _ages_! Is little Ella coming as well?" asked Draco's mother.

"Oh yes, she just had to go back to her room and get a few things. Now Narcissa, you must tell me who this handsome gentleman over here is," she asked, casting a look at Draco.

"You know him! This is my son, Draco. I believe the last time you saw him he was only eight years old," said Narcissa. Without skipping a beat, the woman called Melanie hurried over to Draco and gave him a rib-shattering hug.

"Draco! My goodness, you have grown into quite the young man. The last time I saw you was at Camilla and Lance's wedding! I doubt you remember little Ella, but she certainly remembers you! You two danced _beautifully_ together!" she said, finally releasing the grip she had on his arm. He didn't remember Melanie but he faintly remembered her daughter, Ella. They had danced a few times at the wedding, but that was all he remembered.

"She had to go up to her room and get her broomstick. She never goes anywhere without it," Melanie added.

"Oh, how is she doing on the Quidditch team at Durmstrang?" asked Dominique. This caught Draco's attention. A girl who played on the Durmstrang Quidditch team?

"She's doing great, actually. She made the team for the third year in a row! She has a few national teams looking at her for a Chaser prospect," Melanie said, her voice full of pride for her daughter.

"Draco plays on his house Quidditch team at Hogwarts. He's the seeker," said Narcissa, trying to attract some attention to her son. "Tell them about it, Draco."

"Umm, yeah. I've played on the Slytherin Quidditch team since my second year. I'm their Seeker," he finished. He loved talking about himself, but this was an uncomfortable situation even for him.

They all heard a whooshing noise and turned toward the fireplace. A tall, slender girl in pale blue robes stepped gracefully out of the fire. She was holding a trunk in one hand and a broomstick in the other. She had blonde hair and pale blue eyes that shined like stars. She was the most beautiful girl Draco had ever seen in his life. How could he not remember dancing with someone like this?

"Ella!" yelled all three women in unison. Draco didn't understand why he was here since all of them were conversing amongst themselves and completely ignoring him. Draco shifted from foot to foot, looking at the ground. He knew if he looked at this girl, he would start drooling.

Ella was talking with Dominique, but kept watching Draco out of the corner of her eye. He had grown up to be a very attractive wizard. For some reason, he wouldn't look at her. He was staring at the floor and shifting uncomfortably. Ella decided that if he wasn't going to make the first move, she was. She walked over to him and held out her hand.

"Hello, Draco. It's been a while," she said as Draco grabbed her hand. He was blushing slightly. Being the gentleman that he was, he raised her hand to his mouth and grazed the top of it with his lips. A giggle escaped her mouth. "Wow, what a gentleman," she said.

"Ladies, why don't we go into the parlor for a drink? Draco, would you mind showing Ella where she'll be sleeping?" said Narcissa with a gleam in her eye. She could read her son like a book and she decided that it would be quite fun to play matchmaker. Narcissa two, Draco zero.

"Alright," he said, taking Ella's trunk in one hand. "Right this way," he added, making a hand gesture and allowing her to pass in front of him. She caught his eye for the briefest moment and smiled. He smiled back. He caught a whiff of her perfume as she walked ahead of him. It smelled like a summer morning. It smelled like she had just flown through the rain on a broomstick. It smelled like all the things he loved.

"You have a beautiful house," she said as she turned slowly in the entry hall, taking in all the sights and smells of Malfoy Manor.

"Thanks," said Draco. He couldn't stop looking at her. It was as if his eyes were magically charmed to stay locked on her. She turned around and caught his eye again. With a bit of embarrassment showing on his face, he deflected his eyes elsewhere. "Well, should we keep going?"

"Yes, let's."

Draco led the way up the stairs and took a right. They would be staying in one of the guest suites. He stopped in front of a door and opened it for her and she walked in. A gasp escaped Ella's mouth as she looked around. The room was the brightest in the Malfoy house. It was painted a light yellow with white and black accents here and there. His mother had designed it after a room she saw during her stay in Paris. Two large four-poster beds were set up along the wall to their left. Ella made her way over to one and sat down. Draco followed her, still carrying her trunk and broomstick.

"This is amazing!" said Ella, her eyes darting around the room.

"Yeah. You want to see something else amazing?" asked Draco as he walked over to the white French doors and swung them open. Ella had risen from her perch on the bed and followed him out onto the balcony. Another gasp escaped her lips.

"This has the most beautiful view of anywhere at Malfoy Manor," he whispered. A shiver went down her spine at the sound of his deep, raspy voice in her ear. He wasn't lying. You could see for miles and miles. There didn't seem to be another house anywhere near here. Three hoops coming out of the trees caught her eye.

"Is that a Quidditch pitch?" she asked. Her eyes were getting big now. Maybe she could actually practice after all.

"Why, yes it is. We had it built shortly after I went to Hogwarts so I could keep in shape during the summer. From what I hear, you're quite the little Quidditch player," he said.

"Little? I have knocked boys that are Victor Krum's size off their brooms, so don't be calling me little," she said putting a hand on Draco's chest and pushing him a little ways away. Draco put up his arms in surrender. Obviously, this wasn't a girl to be messed with. Ella let out a laugh.

"It's alright. I've been underestimated a few times in my day. Who would think that a little blonde like me could totally kick a guy's ass?" she seemed to ask herself.

Draco stood there watching her look around the grounds of Malfoy Manor for what seemed like an hour. Her eyes were the bluest he had ever seen. He didn't realize that his mouth was hanging open slightly. She turned her gaze to him.

"Draco? Is there something on my face?" she asked him. She began searching her pockets for a compact.

"No, nothing at all," he said and before he could stop himself he added, "It's perfect."

Her milky white skin slowly turned a light shade of pink. She looked at him again. He had the sexiest smile. She took one step toward him and looked deep into his steel-gray eyes. _Two can play at this game,_ she thought to herself.

"You know what I could really go for right now?" she said in a sexy voice. Draco took one step toward her.

"No, what?" he said. Ella could see the excitement dancing in his eyes as he slowly moved toward her. He started leaning in toward her lips.

"A nice, hot cup of tea," she said with a smile. She turned to go back into the room. When she reached the door, she turned around and gave him a wink.

"Tease!" called Draco after her. Ella just laughed and continued walking through the room. Draco followed after her. He laughed silently to himself. _She wants me… she sooo wants me…_

They walked into the parlor where they found the girls sitting at the Malfoy's antique bar, sipping Firewhiskey and laughing hysterically. Now Draco understood why his father said he had important business to attend to until August…

"Well, look who it is! You two sure took a long time up there," said Dominique suspiciously. From the way the three women were acting, talking, and laughing, Draco could tell that they had already had one to many drinks.

"Draco was showing me the view off of the balcony. It's quite beautiful," she said. Ella wasn't going to admit the other view she found breathtaking. The truth was she would have kissed Draco Malfoy right then and there. The only problem was that she wasn't the kind to kiss on a first date… if that counted as a date at all.

"Aww, yes… that balcony has the most beautiful view of anywhere in this house," said Narcissa getting a far off look in her eye. Truth be told, she had wanted Lucius to turn that room into the master bedroom, but he had declined. That room had been his as a child and he said it held to many bad memories. Instead, they had chosen the original master bedroom that had the connecting study. Lucius spent most of his free time in there when he wasn't at the stables. It was no secret that the Malfoy's had many dark objects hidden in there. It was such common knowledge that the Ministry had been by several times to search it. So far, they hadn't found anything. Lucius may be getting older, but he was still as sly as he was on the day Narcissa had met him.

Ella took the spare stool at the bar and Melanie poured her a Firewhiskey. In Ella's household, drinking was as common as using magic. Since she was 13, she had been allowed to drink. Not to mention the fact that at Durmstrang, there was a party every-other weekend that always involved someone getting drunk.

"Draco would you like one?" asked Melanie. Draco looked at his mother for permission. Under normal circumstances, Draco wouldn't be allowed to drink something as strong as a Firewhiskey, but Narcissa nodded and Draco took the glass Melanie was offering him. At a fancy rendezvous with the Ministry, his parents usually let him drink one or two glasses of champagne. Also, Slytherin threw some pretty wild parties towards the end of the year… but his mother didn't need to know that.

He walked around the edge of the bar to stand by Ella. She was sipping her drink with her pinky out as if she did this all the time. Draco took a sip of his drink, letting the fiery taste linger in his mouth before swallowing. He turned his gaze to Ella, remembering that he had a question to ask her.

"Ella, how long are you staying?" he asked.

"I'm staying until the weddings over. Your aunt asked me to be one of her bridesmaids," she said. Draco could feel the smile waiting to break free on his lips. In a pathetic attempt to hide it, he took another sip of his drink. In the end, he wasn't quick enough. Ella saw his smile and returned it. She leaned over to whisper in his year.

"The truth is, I wasn't exactly looking forward to coming here for a whole summer… that is, until I met you," she whispered, pulling back and giving him another wink. Draco felt as if he had just drunk a whole bottle of whiskey in a matter of five seconds.

About an hour later, Lucius Malfoy returned home. The three women got up from their perch to meet him in the doorway. Narcissa gave her husband a light hug and he kissed her once on each cheek… a traditional greeting for them since Draco could remember.

Melanie went over to meet him as well. Lucius shook her hand and kissed her on each cheek as well. They said a few words, and then Melanie stepped aside to let Dominique greet her brother-in-law.

"Lucius! It really has been much too long." Kiss, kiss. "Thank you so much for opening up you home to me and John. This is going to be such a lovely wedding," she said.

"It was the least I could do for my wife's sister and an old friend," he said in his charming-gentleman voice. He cracked the fakest smile Draco had ever seen. The truth was that he hated the idea right from the get-go. The only reason he had agreed to it was because this would be another one of his many whose-who parties he was known for. Lucius' steely gray eyes traveled over to where Ella and Draco were sitting. He walked over and greeted Ella with a kiss on the hand.

"My, my Ms. Stone. You have matured into quite the young witch. How old are you now, my dear?" he asked.

"I'll be sixteen this Christmas Eve," she said.

"I knew you were the same age as Draco, I just wasn't quite sure," he said. "How is Durmstrang? I wanted to enroll Draco there, but Narcissa had insisted we keep him close to home," Lucius said. Draco hated his protective mother more than ever for not enrolling him in Durmstrang.

"It's great. The only problem is that Bulgaria gets extremely cold in the winter and fall months. Sometimes it snows so much that our path is blocked to get to certain lessons so we get to have a free period in our dormitories. It's also quite difficult to play Quidditch in the snow," said Ella. Draco had never played in a snow storm before… he imagined that it must be really hard. Then again, the snitch would probably stick out like a sore thumb…

Draco found himself fantasizing about what it would be like to play in the snow on a broomstick… but then he found his thoughts not on flying a broomstick, but curled up on the couch with Ella while the snow fell outside the window.

Lucius and Ella continued to talk about Durmstrang for another twenty minutes before Lucius decided it was time for him to leave them alone. There was no doubt in Draco's mind that he was going up to his study until everyone decided it was time for lunch. It was already one o'clock and this miniature party showed no signs of slowing down.

Draco was hoping to get some more alone time with Ella, but his idea was soon squashed by his aunt.

"Why don't we all go into the dining room and start planning? I have no idea where to begin! You ladies have been through this before, and I am just so overwhelmed," she said.

"Come on Ella, you're part of this wedding too," said Melanie. Ella got up from her seat and followed her mother. When Draco didn't come after her, she turned around and looked at him.

"Aren't you coming too?" she asked.

"Even though an afternoon of talking about robes, colors, love, and fancy napkins sounds oh so exciting, I think I'm going to pass on this one," said Draco. Ella was slightly disappointed. She wished that they could have the afternoon alone together… but then again, she didn't know if she would be able to control herself. At Durmstrang, she wasn't exactly known for her self-control.

One night after a Durmstrang Quidditch victory, there had been a wild party. Ella, being the woman-of-the-hour, had had a little too much to drink and it had clouded her judgment slightly. Luckily, she realized where she was heading with the guy, and was able to stop herself.

She left the room and headed toward the dining hall leaving Draco behind. He decided that after all the female interaction he was getting, he needed some male attention… since Chase was on vacation, the only male in the house besides their house-elf Jasper, was Lucius.

Draco walked up to his father's study and knocked on the door.

"Come in," answered Lucius' voice. Draco walked into the room where he found his father sitting at his large desk. Draco didn't like the study very much. When he was a baby, Narcissa had turned this room into a nursery. Until he was two, he had had to deal with the looks of his ancestors staring down at him from their portraits on the walls. Now, he avoided this room as much as possible.

"Aww, Draco. Couldn't stand the women either?" he asked.

"Most of them I could stand… I've just been in the same room with them all day and it was getting rather old," he said in response. Lucius rolled up the letter he was writing and put it in a desk drawer.

"Well well my son, we haven't dueled in some time. I'm curious to see what they're teaching you at that muggle-loving school. Up for a round?" he said, removing his glasses. He stepped out from behind the desk.

"Alright, Father. Let's go," said Draco. Dueling with his father was a fun experience. He knew so many spells that Draco didn't and he was a more advanced student because of it. These duels were a great learning experience for him.

Lucius drew his wand and moved the black leather couch against the wall with a flick of his wrist. This left a long, clear space of hardwood floor. Draco took his position at the far end of the room.

"Ok Draco, we're playing by my rules. Let's make things interesting. You cannot speak an incantation. You know how to do this, just not very well. Normally, you would learn this at the beginning of next year, but you are much more gifted than the rest at that Mudblood infested school," said Lucius with a bit of disgust in his voice. "I'll go easy on you since I understand this is a new concept for you. Wand at the ready," said Lucius drawing his wand.

Draco drew his wand and prepared for the start of the duel. They did the traditional start. Lucius and Draco walked from each side of the room to the middle, wands pointed upwards. They met in the middle and bowed. They turned and walked ten paces. Then, they turned around and the duel began.

Draco thought with all his might, his wand pointed at his father. "_Expelliarmus,"_ he thought. Nothing happened. Lucius stood there, reading his son's face like a book. He figured he'd let his son at least try to do a spell.

Finally, after thinking the spell six times, a red light erupted from his wand and hit his father square in the chest. Lucius stumbled backwards, his wand flying in the air. Lucius stepped back and caught it with ease. He returned fire with a shot of bluish mist. Draco felt light-headed and soon, blackness consumed him and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Lucius revived him instantly. Draco should have known that was coming. His father used that spell all the time during their duels. "Sorry, Draco. I couldn't resist. It's one of my favorite spells," said Lucius. Draco hated losing but it felt like an honorable loss since it was to his father. Lucius had been the best duelist Hogwarts had to offer back in his day. Draco had the feeling that he wanted the tradition to pass on. Lucius bent down next to his son who was still sitting on the floor.

"You do understand why your disarming spell wasn't very effective?" he asked. Draco shook his head.

"It was because you weren't thinking your spell with enough feeling! Feeling is what dueling is all about, Draco. Never forget that," he said as he stood up.

Draco stood up after him. Lucius rearranged the furniture back into its original position. He sat down in one of the black leather armchairs and signaled for Draco to sit on the couch across from him.

"Now Draco, you must tell me what you think of Ms. Ella Stone," he asked. Draco was taken back. Lucius had never talked to him about girls before.

"She's a very nice girl. We have a lot in common," he said, hoping that the way his voice cracked hadn't given Lucius and hints about what he really felt.

"Oh come now, Draco. I saw the way you were looking at her. I may be older than I was when I fell in love with your mother, but I know the look of a love-sick teen when I see it. If it matter's at all, you get my stamp of approval. She's a well bred girl… her father played on the Bulgarian Quidditch team. Her mother was a Witch Weekly beauty pageant winner. There are rumors that her heritage traces back all the way to Merlin himself. She is also a well cultured young lady. She went to Beauxbatons her first and second year of schooling before transferring to Durmstrang. She's a fabulous Quidditch player. She's exactly the kind of girl I would have chosen for you, Draco. Good choice," he said smiling at Draco. How did he know all of these things about Ella?

"Umm… thanks father. But there isn't really anything going on between me and Ella. We just really met for the first time today," said Draco, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"I know, but it's never too early to start thinking about these sorts of things. She would make an excellent addition to the Malfoy family," he said. Whoa… now he was talking about marriage?

"Father, I like Ella, but we just met. And I'm only fifteen. I have my whole life ahead of me to find a bride. Oh, and just to make sure you know, arranged marriages have gone out of style since grandfather's day," he added. Lucius was a schemer. He was always thinking about how things would benefit him and his family. Draco just wanted to make sure that he understood that he was in no hurry to get married.

"It's never too early to start thinking about your future. Did you know that-?"

"Mom and you got married one year after you got out of Hogwarts? Yes Father, I know," said Draco, finishing his sentence for him. Lucius and Narcissa had married young, but because of complications, they weren't able to have children for nearly five years. Draco had been their first and only child because fertility problems finally overtook Narcissa and children were no longer an option for the Malfoy family.

"Well, I'm feeling a bit light-headed again. That spell must have really had an effect on me. I better go lie down. It was nice talking with you, Father," said Draco as he turned to exit the study.

"Remember my advice, Draco," Lucius called after him as he closed the door. Draco walked back to his room. He was feeling light-headed, but he didn't think it had anything to do with the spell. Had his father really just talked to him about marrying someone he had only known for less than twenty-four hours? Sure, he and Narcissa had married at 19, but they had dated since their third year at Hogwarts. It wasn't right for Draco. He decided that the easiest way to handle things like this was to pretend that they had never happened.

Draco walked into his room and walked out onto his balcony. He looked down into the garden where he saw the girls sitting around the new fountain. Ella spotted him and waved. Draco waved back. Then, Ella blew a kiss. In a cheesy gesture, Draco pretended to catch it and held it to his heart. He could see Ella laughing, even from up here. He had noticed earlier how her eyes danced when she laughed. She was truly the most beautiful thing Draco had ever seen.

He walked back into his room and belly-flopped onto his bed. It was almost three and Draco decided it was time for his afternoon nap. Ella's perfume lingered as if she was lying right next to him. He fell asleep with visions of her in his head, glad his father had taught him Occlumency.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been nearly two weeks since Ella had arrived at Malfoy Manor. Since their tour of the balcony, Ella and Draco had not been alone once. Between shopping, planning, and writing owls to her friends, Ella had no time. Dominique had been keeping them busy by taking them to robe shops in every corner of the globe. So far, the only thing that had been decided on was the date of the wedding: August 20th.

Draco had been trying to keep himself busy. John had written his father and announced that both he and Draco were to be groomsman at his wedding. Maybe Draco would walk down the aisle with Ella after all.

He was avoiding the wedding party as much as possible for fear that they would ask his opinion. They had already asked him about the flowers...

"Draco, what do you think? White roses or white lilies?"

"Umm... white lilies?" he had said.

"Draco! Lilies are dead people flowers! This is a wedding!" Narcissa had scolded him. Draco had avoided them as much as possible from that moment on.

It was nearly noon and Draco walked down the hall to the dining room, hoping for a little breakfast. When he arrived there, the ladies were already in deep discussion about what color robes for the groomsman to wear.

"Green would look so nice... and all of them were in Slytherin, too! It would be a fitting match!" said Melanie.

"Yes, but black is so much classier! Besides, didn't we decide that the colors of the wedding were black, white, and silver?" Dominique contradicted. Just as Draco had turned to leave, Melanie called him in.

"Draco! What do you think? Green or black for your dress robes?" she asked.

"I'm partial to black myself. It would also go well with the theme of the wedding," he said. He let out a sigh of relief when everyone agreed with his decision.

"Black robes it is!" said Dominique as she scribbled something down on the piece of parchment in front of her. "Draco, come sit down. We've hardly seen you at all since we arrived," she added, patting the seat next to her. Draco was stuck. There was no way out of this one.

He walked over to the empty seat beside his aunt and sat down. They passed him a cup of tea and he sipped it eagerly. He needed a caffeine rush more than anything right now.

"So Draco, what are your plans for the day?" asked Narcissa. She was wearing pink robes with her hair up in a ponytail. "Melanie, Dominique and I are planning on going to the salon and your father is gone... it's just going to be you and Ella all day," she added with a sly smile. The way her son's head picked up at the sound of this was priceless.

"Umm... I was planning on going to the barn to see Ares," said Draco. Ares was his Abraxan stallion Draco had received as an "acceptance to Hogwarts" present.

"Well, I bet Ella would love to see the horses! Why don't you take her down there? She's never ridden a _flying_ horse before. I'm sure she would love it!" said Melanie.

"Oh yes! We are the same size I expect... I can loan her my riding habit," said Narcissa. "Draco, why don't you surprise her? Take her down there for the afternoon until we get back," she finished. Draco could tell that his mother wasn't just suggesting this... she was ordering it.

"Alright. Where is Ella, by the way?" he asked. He hadn't seen her all morning.

"I let her sleep in, but it's almost noon. Would you please go get her up for me, Draco? Oh, and tell her that if she tries to curse you, she's grounded... she's not a morning person," said Melanie, taking a sip of tea. Draco was hesitant at first, but he did what he was told. He got up from his seat and checked to make sure that he had his wand just in case she _really_ wasn't a morning person.

He walked up to the bedroom door and knocked three times. He didn't get a response. He heard music coming from the room, so he stepped inside. When he opened the door he could hear singing.

"_You charmed the demons out of me…"_

"Ella? Are you in here?" called Draco, looking around the room. He saw that the bathroom door was closed, so he knocked on it too. Once again, no answer but the singing continued. Not as horrible as most bathroom singers, he noted.

"_Curse me for thinking, that you might love meee…"_

"Ella?" he said, jiggling the handle. It was locked. He pulled out his wand.

_"Alohamora!"_ he said. The door unlocked and he turned the handle. He peeked around the door cautiously and what he saw made him explode in a fit of laughter.

Ella was sitting on the toilet bowl in one of those green masks that Draco thought made girls look moldy. She was wrapped in a towel and her wet hair was dangling around her face. She had cucumbers over her eyes and was still singing to the song with headphones in her ears. Draco crept quietly over to her and put his hand on her elbow.

"Ella, you're molding," he said cautiously. Ella's head snapped up and the cucumbers fell from her eyes. She had a look of horror on her face.

"Draco! I didn't even hear you come in!" she said. She ran to the sink and began washing the green mask off of her face. Draco couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked, even when she thought she looked her worst.

"What is this rubbish you're singing?" asked Draco.

"It's a bunch of songs my friend put into a W.W.P for me. And it's not rubbish!" she said in a huff. For fear that she would rearrange his face, Draco shut up. Ella pulled out her wand and applied her makeup with a few simple spells. She then pointed her wand at her hair and it straightened and dried itself. She turned back at him and turned the volume up when a slower song came on.

"Oooh Draco! I absolutely LOVE this song! Will you dance with me?" she said with such a look of glee in her eyes that Draco couldn't say no to. He stepped toward her and she put one arm around his neck and took one of his hands in hers. Draco let his free hand rest gently on the small of her back. The song began to play.

_I saw you from a distance,_

_I knew you were my kind of man._

_I asked you for one dance,_

_And you gently took my hand…_

Ella leaned into Draco as they moved slowly in a circle. She had a girlish innocence about her in this moment and he rested his forehead against hers, causing a giggle to escape and she closed her eyes.

_Oh if I had a galleon,_

_For every man I've loved…_

The song played for another minute, but neither of them seemed to notice when it ended. Ella wrapped her arms around his waist in a very comforting embrace. Draco wrapped his arms around her shoulders and they stood there like this for what seemed like hours. Draco finally decided that it was time to get her downstairs. He kissed the top of her head.

"Your mom wanted me to come get you up," he said. Ella stepped back from his strong arms and looked up at him. He was wearing almost a half smile.

"Alright. Just give me a second to get dressed," she said. There was a screen set up in the bathroom and she stepped behind it. Draco could just barely see her silhouette as she stripped of her towel and threw on her clothes. His jaw dropped slightly and he shook his head to get himself out of the trance. He looked away to prevent an awkward situation about a situation in his trousers.

Ella stepped out from behind the screen and found Draco leaning back against the toilet with his eyes closed. He looked almost asleep. Ella walked over to the counter and sprayed on her perfume. Draco stirred instantly.

"Gosh, Ella. What's in that stuff?" he asked. He had been meaning to ask this for some time now.

"Oh, I have it made for me in Paris. I think there are essences of roses, raspberries, and just a tiny, tiny drop of the love potion Amortentia," she said. That explained everything. Luckily, just smelling the love potion won't make you infatuated. Maybe?

Ella was wearing a short denim skirt and a light blue tank top that matched her eyes perfectly. She turned to Draco.

"Do you have the time?" she asked.

"It's five past twelve," he said glancing at his watch.

"Wow... I really slept in late this morning!" she said with a giggle. Ella walked over to Draco and offered him her hand. He took it and she heaved him to his feet. She still didn't know that she was going to the stables with him this afternoon, so he told her.

"Ella, while the ladies are at the salon, what do you think of going to meet our horses?" he asked her. Her bright eyes became the size of galleons.

"Wow, Draco! I would love that more than anything!" she said excitedly. Well, maybe not more than _anything_...

"Alright then. My mom said that you could use her riding habit for the day. We better go make sure she's still up for it," he finished as they walked out of the room and into the hallway. They met the girls back in the dining room.

"My my, look who it is! Sleeping Beauty!" said Dominique. Ella smiled a polite smile and took her seat next to her mother.

"Draco tells me that we're going to go see the horses today," she said to Melanie.

"Oh, that reminds me! I'll send one of the elves up to get my riding clothes," said Narcissa, rising from the table. She turned into the kitchen and whispered to one of the servants. The older elf left and went upstairs. She returned in a matter of minutes.

She set the clothes on the table and bowed to Mrs. Malfoy. Ella's eyes got big yet again as she ran her hands over the expensive fabric. There was a pair of tan riding breeches, a white blouse, a pair of brown dragon-hide boots, and a brown dragon-hide belt.

"Well, you guys better hurry and get ready if you're going to go riding. It's after noon and it's going to be very hot today. Oh, and we better get going ladies. Our appointments are at one," said Narcissa. The three older women got up from their seats and left for the fireplace.

"She's right. Let's go get ready and I'll meet you down here in fifteen minutes," said Draco to Ella as he left the table and went upstairs. He couldn't wait to see what the tight-fitting clothes did to her already exquisite body.

Draco found his riding clothes tucked away at the back of his closet. He put on his tan breeches, white oxford, black dragon-hide boots and matching belt. He grabbed his riding helmet and went downstairs where he found Ella already waiting for him in the entryway.

For a moment, Draco couldn't move. She was stunning. The breeches hugged her in all the right places. Her white blouse was tucked in and the sleeves came down a little ways past her elbows. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and some of her blonde locks had escaped from the brown ribbon she had used to hold it back.

Ella thought that Draco looked much, much older. She had never realized what a nice figure he had. She almost had to do a double take to make sure it was him. She turned her eyes to the marble floor and tried to occupy her mind looking for patterns.

"Stunning, Ella. Positively stunning," was all Draco could get out. This made her blush slightly and Draco hoped it had come off in a friendly, playful way.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Mr. Malfoy," she said. The truth was he looked extremely hot.

"Alright then. Let's get this show on the road," said Draco. He walked over to Ella and put his arm around her shoulder. He steered her out the back door and onto the garden path. It was only a short walk to the stables from here.

"You really do have a beautiful home," said Ella. It was twice as nice as her family's city home. They owned a few houses, but their primary home was in New Zealand. They lived along the beach and it was always sunny... no matter what time of the year it was. It was a big change from living there to living at Durmstrang.

They turned the corner and found the large river rock stable that housed the Malfoy's horses. Chase was out in front of it with a particularly large gray thoroughbred stallion. It must be bath time.

"Hey, Chase. Giving Gib a bath?" asked Draco as him and Ella walked over to meet him.

"Yeah, and he's not liking it," said Chase. Draco walked over and took Gib's halter from him. Draco rubbed his hand on Gib's long nose and he calmed instantly.

"I don't know why I bother... the bastard's just going to go roll out in his pasture the second I turn him out," said Chase, casting a look at the large piece of horse standing in front of him.

"Well, its better that he's clean for at least five minutes," said Draco. Ella was standing ten feet away, eyeing the horse with some curiosity. "Come over here and meet Gib, Ella," said Draco.

Ella stepped cautiously toward the stallion, but he filled the gap quickly. When she was three feet away, the horse stepped forward and put its nose in Ella's well-manicured hands. A smile lit up her features.

"Well, aren't you a little sweetie?" Ella cooed.

"This is Rock of Gibraltar, but we call him Gib for short," answered Draco. "You haven't met Chase before, have you?" he added, remembering his manners.

"No, I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting this fine young gentleman," said Ella. Draco felt a jealous flush rise to his cheeks.

Chase reached for Ella's hand under the neck of the sopping horse. She grasped his hand firmly and shook it. Then, he returned to his work. "Are you guys gonna ride today?" he asked.

"Yeah. I think we're going to warm up with Blondie and Top Hat, then take Ares on a quick ride," said Draco. Ella looked at him funny. Draco decided that it was time for her to meet the extended family.

"Alright. I just cleaned their tack, so it should be nice and polished for you," added Chase with a wink. In Draco's whole life, Chase had only given him one piece of advice about girls: Chicks love horses. This was the first time he had ever taken it.

"Ok, see you Chase," said Draco.

"It was nice meeting you," said Ella flashing him her one-hundred watt smile. Draco put his arm around her shoulders again and steered her into the shade of the barn. He looked back over the top of her head and Chase was giving him two thumbs-up. They were greeted by the delighted neighs and whinnies of the ten horses stabled there. Draco walked down the breezeway and greeted each horse by its name.

"Hello Dolly, Beau, Jed, Mac, Louie, Liz, Magic, Pistol, Blondie, and Top Hat," he said to each one as they passed. They were all different breeds and colors. Draco turned into a room and emerged carrying a hunter saddle and bridle. He went back in and grabbed a leather halter and went into a stall that housed the horse called 'Blondie'.

"Up for a quick ride, sweetheart?" he asked the horse. Ella stood back as he led her to the hitching rail. The color of this horse was the most beautiful she had ever seen. It was a golden honey color. In fact, she was the same color as her hair.

"Ella, this is Blondie. We're gonna take her and my horse, Top Hat, for a ride around the arena," said Draco. Ella approached the horse as Draco threw the saddle on. She had taken riding lessons in her youth and even competed in a few competitions. Her mother had made her quit, however, when the girth strap loosened and she fell off going over a jump when she was eleven.

Draco put the bridle on and slid the bit in Blondie's mouth with ease. He handed Ella the reins, then went back into the tack room to retrieve another halter. He returned and walked a little ways down the shed row and went into another stall. He emerged leading a jet black Friesian stallion with long, wavy black hair. He attached Top Hat next to Blondie on the rail and tacked him up quickly. Then, he motioned for Ella to follow him outside, and she did, still leading Blondie.

When they exited the barn, Ella saw a large riding arena with a few jumps set up. Chase was waiting for them. He opened the gate and they walked through. "Need a leg up?" asked Draco.

"Yes, please," said Ella. Draco gave Chase Top Hat's reins and grasped Ella's leg firmly in his hand. He heaved her into the saddle and she clicked her tongue. Blondie and Ella took off around the arena at a slow posting trot.

Chase gave Draco a leg up and he took off after Blondie and Ella at a faster paced trot. Draco loved to feel the rocking motion of the horse beneath him. The gentle bumps of his gait pushed him into the air as he posted gracefully around the arena. They rode around for a few minutes, warming their horses up. Ella and Draco stopped under a tree that was shading a corner of the arena.

"Ready for some jumps?" asked Ella as Top Hat and Draco approached.

"Sure. But why don't we make things interesting," said Draco. He got a sly grin on his face. "The person who knocks down the least rails wins. If I win, I get a kiss from you. If you win, I'll do whatever you want," he said. Ella never backed down from a challenge. Sure, she hadn't jumped in a few years, but these were easy jumps.

"You're on, Draco."

"Ladies first," said Draco. Ella and Blondie took off at a rolling canter towards the first jump.

Ella approached the jump with caution. She set her up dead center and she flew over the jump with ease. The wind rushed over her face. A smile lit up her features. She felt like a kid again.

They took a sharp turn toward the next jump: a simple double-rail. Ella set herself up and crouched low over her horse's neck. Blondie stretched herself up and over. They stumbled slightly on the landing but recovered quickly. There were four more jumps left in the sequence: a water jump, another double rail, a serpent-shaped jump, and a double combination.

They approached the water jump cautiously. Ella had never been on this horse and didn't know how she would react to water. They took the jump slower than usual and with a splash, they landed. Blondie didn't react at all to the water. They kept moving on.

The next jump was simple enough. It was the same as the second one and there was no doubt in Ella's mind that they would go over flawlessly.

They flew over it. Blondie's back hooves skimmed the rail, but it didn't fall. They collected themselves and set off towards the next jump. It was the serpent-shaped jump. In the short while Ella had been at Malfoy Manor, she had noticed their fascination with serpents of all shapes and sizes. This jump was low to the ground and the snakes head stuck up in the air.

Ella set her up, once again, dead center. Blondie's front hooves left the ground. Ella stretched out over her neck. They went over the jump with six inches left to spare. Blondie stumbled on the landing but pulled herself up and carried on. The only jump left was the deadly double combination. This was a jump that only allowed the horse to take one step before the next one.

They took a turn to the right and rode on. Ella knew that they would have to set up perfectly if they were going to go clean.

The jump was in their sights. Ella instinctively tightened her hold on the reins. She clicked her heals into Blondie's sides and they soared over the jump. When they landed, Ella pulled her back up and over the next one. They left the ground too close to the jump and Blondie's front hooves hit the top rail. It shook a little and fell to the ground.

When they landed, Ella turned her horse around to look at their progress. Only one down rail. That would mean that Draco would have to tie her or go clean to win their bet. Ella trotted back to where Draco sat on Top Hat under the tree.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," said Draco. Blondie never jumped that good, even for Narcissa. "But let me show you how a professional does it," taunted Draco. He clicked his heels to Top Hat's sides and away they went.

Top Hat was acting funny. He wouldn't pay attention to Draco. Because of this, they took the first jump late. Top Hat's front legs hit the top rail and it fell. They stumbled on their landing and didn't recover well. Blondie was in heat, and apparently he was distracted by other urges.

"Don't worry buddy, I know the feeling," he whispered, patting Top Hat on the neck.

Top Hat was shaking his head and not paying attention to Draco's commands. By the time they got to the next jump, Top Hat had to take it way to the outside. On top of that, they were too far from it and they hit the pole, this time with his back legs. The rail fell and there was no hope in Draco winning the bet. He hung his head and rode back over to where Ella and Blondie sat under the tree.

"Well, you win," said Draco. He hated losing more than anything.

"It's not your fault, Draco. Anyone with eyes could see that your horse was a little distracted," said Ella sympathetically.

"Yeah, but don't pity me. You won fair and square. So tell me, what's my sentence?" he said.

"Hmm... You have to promise me a dance at your aunt's wedding," she said. Draco looked up at her. Her face and eyes were serious. This was an easy bargain considering the fact that he had planned on asking her anyway.

"Alright. I promise," he said.

"Shake on it?"

"Ok," said Draco, grasping her hand in his. They shook hands and then trotted over to the gate where Chase was waiting for them. They dismounted and Chase took both of their reins.

"You guys go over to the other barn. I'll take care of these two and then I'll meet you there," he said. He led the horses in the direction of the walker as Draco and Ella started down the short path that led to the other barn that housed the Flying Horses.

When the barn was just around the corner, Draco stopped. "Ella, close your eyes. I want this to be a surprise," he said. Ella closed her eyes and Draco grabbed her by the shoulders and guided her towards the barn. He opened the door for her and positioned her in front of Ares' giant stall.

"Ok, you can open them now," said Draco. Ella's eyes flew open. She screamed, causing Ares to flap his wings. Once she was over the initial shock of seeing this massive horse in front of her, she was extremely excited.

"Oh, Draco! He's beautiful!" she said. Ares was a dark orange color with a nearly white mane and tail. His wings were of white feathers and he had a big blaze and four stockings that went over his knees. His color pattern was called "fire-and-ice." He had been very expensive because he was bred specifically for his color. Fire-and-ice Abraxans were very rare.

"You wanna ride him?" asked Draco. Ella's eyes were once again the size of galleons.

"We can ride him?" she said.

"Yeah. Here comes Chase, so we could go on a quick fly,"

"Fly?"

"Yeah, unless you're too scared..."

"I am not scared! Let's go!" she said. Ella took this as a challenge. She conveniently forgot to tell Draco that she was extremely scared of heights. Chase walked into the barn and stood beside them.

"Are you guys ready?" he asked.

"Yep. Let's get this big guy tacked up," said Draco. Together, him and Chase went to the tack room and emerged holding a large halter with two ropes, one for each of them. They put the halter on Ares and Ella stood back as they led him out to the back of the barn.

Chase climbed onto a small ladder and tied him to a steel pole. Then, he went back into the barn and came out with what looked like an over-sized jumping saddle. He positioned it on Ares' back. With some help from Draco, he got the breast collar on and cinched up the saddle. Chase went back into the barn and emerged carrying a bridle with extremely long reins. Draco helped him put it on and then they climbed down from the ladder.

"Everything's ready," said Chase. Ella and Draco climbed up the ladder. Chase held on firmly to Ares' reins as Draco got into the saddle. Draco positioned his knees firmly behind the wing joints and grabbed the reins and held on tight. Chase climbed back up the ladder to the platform where Ella stood.

"You ready?" he asked. Ella nodded.

Chase took her right hand in his as she stepped off the platform and into the saddle. Draco took her left hand when she was halfway there. She sat down cautiously behind Draco, clutching his shoulders for balance.

"Let's get this party started!" said Draco. He flicked the reins and Ares took off at a full gallop. Draco pulled up on the reins and his front hooves left the ground. With a flap of the massive horse's wings, they were pulled up and into the air.

Draco felt Ella's arms tighten around his waist. When they hit three hundred feet, he felt her head dig into his back. He could hear her whimpering over the sound of flapping wings. He looked over his shoulder and saw that she was shaking violently. Draco got worried and turned Ares back in the direction of the barn. Had she told him before that she was scared of heights?

Ares touched ground in front of the barn. They had only been airborne for roughly five minutes. Chase was still there and he looked at Draco and mouthed "What happened?"

Draco waved his hand and mouthed back "I'll tell you later." Chase took the reins. Draco slid off the saddle and onto the platform. He grabbed a still shaking Ella by the waist and lifted her safely from the horse. When he set her down, her knees buckled and Draco had to catch her arm before she fell to the ground. Her face was as white as a sheet.

"Ella? Are you ok?" asked Draco, his voice full of concern. His gray eyes looked deep into her blue ones. She managed a nod. Her breathing was labored and Draco decided that it was time to get her home.

"Chase, do you think you can handle Ares? I need to get Ella back to the house," said Draco. Chase promised he would take care of Ares. "Ella, can you walk, or do you need me to carry you?" he asked.

"I... don't know," Ella breathed out. Draco had never heard of anyone ever being this scared of heights. He felt bad for putting her in a situation that made her feel uncomfortable.

"Well, just to make sure you're all right, I better carry you. See you tomorrow, Chase," added Draco.

Draco put Ella's right arm over his neck and cradled her in his arms like a baby. He walked slowly down the platforms steps. She felt light as a feather. Ella crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes. She leaned her head into Draco's collar bone and stayed like this. She could feel the sweat on his neck and she breathed in the smell of his cologne. If she really set her mind to it she probably could support herself... but she liked this idea much better.

Draco looked down at Ella. She was getting her color back. She had her eyes closed and her breathing was still uneven. He was worried about her.

"Ella, I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have taken you up there," he whispered. Ella stirred a little in his arms.

"No Draco, I'm sorry. I... should have swallowed... my pride and told you I was scared of... heights," she said. Even though she was feeling better, her airway was still constricted from the fear she had felt. She let her tired lids fall again. Between the heat and the smell of Draco's cologne, she suddenly felt very tired. She drifted off to sleep.

Draco walked into the garden that was in his backyard. The clock said three o'clock. The girls should be back from their hair appointment by now. When he walked the garden path towards the new fountain, he found them sitting around it sipping on what looked like Narcissa's famous "Spiked Strawberry Smoothies." When they saw Draco and Ella, they all rose from their seats and sped towards him. Melanie looked extremely worried for her daughter.

"Draco, what happened? Is she alright?" she asked, putting a hand on Ella's forehead.

"She's fine. I took her up for a fly on Ares and she didn't tell me she was scared of heights," he said. Melanie calmed down.

"Aw, yes. I assume you went over three hundred feet then?" she asked. Draco nodded and Melanie let out a chuckle.

"That's why. You see, she was originally a Seeker in her younger days, but she fell three hundred feet from a broom and, thank God, she only broke her leg and arm. Since then, she panics if you take her that high in the air. That's why she's a Chaser now. They have to stay pretty close to the ground," explained Melanie. Ok, now Draco didn't feel so bad.

"We better get her inside and splash some cold water on her. Draco, do you mind taking her up to our room? I'll be up there shortly," said Melanie. Draco agreed and made his way upstairs. It seemed that Ella had fallen asleep in his arms. Her breathing was almost back to normal when he reached the top of the stairs.

He entered their guest suit and laid her gently onto the bed. She rolled over onto her side and Draco watched her sleeping. She had that "I'm-so-peaceful-when-I-sleep" thing going for her. He smiled and ran his fingers through her silky hair. He finally pulled his gaze away from her and walked out of the room. He closed the door silently behind him. On his way down the hall, he passed Melanie carrying a tray that held a bowl of cold water and a wash cloth. She flashed him a smile and crept into the room that held her sleeping daughter.

Draco went back to his room to shower. What this afternoon had lacked in romantics, it had made up for in bonding. He could tell that he was falling hard for her, and falling fast. Like a free-fall dive on a broomstick, he wasn't sure he would be able to pull up in time to stop falling in love with her.


	4. Chapter 4

Draco opened his eyes but closed them quickly. His head hurt like hell. The night before, he had partied hard with Chase and a few of his old Hogwarts buddies. The last thing he remembered seeing before passing out on the couch was a redheaded kid streaking through the living room. Not a good image to fall asleep with...

It had been three days since Draco had taken Ella airborne. He still felt bad about making Ella so scared. She had slept for four hours after he had taken her upstairs. Even though she insisted that Draco had nothing to feel bad about, he felt terrible.

Draco rolled off the couch and rubbed his eyes. He was still at Chase's house. He looked at the coffee table and saw the bottle he had been drinking out of the night before. Shockingly, it was half empty.

He got up and started looking for Chase. Draco passed a clock and saw that it was already four-thirty in the afternoon. He took the stairs and turned left into the master bedroom. Chase was lying in bed with a girl Draco had seen him with the night before. He walked over to him silently

"Chase! Get up!" said Draco as he tried to shake Chase awake. He rolled over and looked at him with sleepy eyes.

"What do you want, Draco?"

"Where's that bloody hangover potion you're so good at making? If I go home like this, my mom will beat me senseless,I" he begged. Chase rubbed his eyes and pointed in the direction of the bathroom. Draco looked through the cabinets and found it behind the toilet paper. He took a chug and put it back. The pain in his head slowly started going away. He said goodbye to Chase and left the room.

Draco went out the front door and started on his way home. He could feel the effects of the potion slowly starting to take effect. It was only a short walk from the guest house to the main house. Last night, he had had a fun time... maybe too much fun. Partying until six in the morning when you're drunk will make you question your actions.

He reached the back door of his house and walked in. Draco had been scheming up a good alibi for why he was home so late. Yesterday, he had told Narcissa that he was only planning on staying at Chase's over-night. He had conveniently forgotten to tell her about the party.

Draco found the ladies sitting in the living room sipping tea. Ella wasn't with them. He found this odd... normally Ella was always with them when he wasn't around. He walked in casually and sat next to Narcissa.

"Draco! Where have you been?" she asked. Draco grabbed the extra cup that was on the table and poured him some tea.

"I stayed at Chase's last night. I woke up at about eleven. Then we went to the barn and worked with that new yearling filly Father purchased," he said. He didn't like lying to his mother, but sometimes it was absolutely necessary to avoid trouble.

"Oh, I was just getting a little worried..." said Narcissa. She took a sip of her tea and went back to her conversation with Melanie and Dominique. Draco polished off his cup and asked the question he was dying to know the answer to.

"Melanie, where's Ella? She's usually with you."

"Ella went to the Quidditch pitch to practice a little. She left about an hour ago," she said, adding some more sugar to her tea.

"Well, maybe I'll go out and see her," said Draco.

"I'm sure she would love that! There aren't a lot of Quidditch players in New Zealand for the summer so I'm sure she would enjoy the company," said Melanie excitedly. Draco rose from the couch.

"I better get my Quidditch robes on then," said Draco as he left the room. He went up went upstairs and rummaged through his still-not-unpacked school trunk. He found his green Quidditch robes at the very bottom. He slipped into them and put on his pads. Draco grabbed his Firebolt, which hung above his bed, and started on his way.

The sun was spewing from the many windows and into the entry hall. Draco passed the living room and heard the moms whistle as he walked by. He smiled and walked on. A lot of girls love a man in uniform...

By the time Draco left the house, it was five thirty. In the summer at Malfoy Manor, dinner was usually served at seven. When he reached the path that led to the pitch, he saw a hoof print in the dirt. Brutus must have been through here recently. Draco found it odd that he hadn't seen him all summer. He had seen prints, hairs, and horn scuffs on trees, but no Brutus.

Brutus was a special unicorn. Draco's grandfather had raised him from the time he was born since the mother had rejected him. Because of this, Brutus was tamer than most.

When Draco finally reached the pitch, he could see that Ella was already deep into her practice routine. She was tossing the Quaffle into the air and then zooming up to catch it. Then, she would throw it in another direction and fly over to meet it. She looked as if she were doing some sort of aerial dance. Draco mounted his broom and flew up to meet her.

Ella was taking a break. She had been flying hard for nearly an hour straight. She saw Draco coming up and was relieved to see a friendly face. In New Zealand, she always had to practice alone. Her brother was the worst Quidditch player ever, so he never wanted to help. Having a guy who cared as much about Quidditch as she did was a major bonus.

"Hey, Ella. I see you've been working hard," said Draco. It was written all over her. Ella's hair was drenched with sweat, her breathing was labored, and she was a little wobbly on her broom.

"Oh, this is nothing compared to what they put us through at Durmstrang. We have three hour hard-core practices Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, daily doubles on Saturdays and Sundays, and stretching exercises on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Let me remind you that this is in freezing temperatures and, most of the time, in the snow," she said as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm just a little out of shape, that's all."

"Have you drunk any water?"

"Shoot! I knew I forgot something!" said Ella. Draco got a look of sheer horror on his face. An hour of practicing this hard in ninety-degree weather with no water was not good. Draco reached into his bag and pulled out his hydration juice that he always drank in the summer time when he was training. It kept him going no matter how hot it was.

"Ella, drink this," he said holding it out to her. She grabbed it from him and took a chug. It was good to feel liquid in her parched mouth. She hadn't realized how thirsty she really was.

"Thanks, Draco. What's in that stuff?" she asked, licking her lips.

"It's my dirty little secret... it's actually a muggle drink called "Gatorade." I hide it up in my room so Father doesn't find out about it. Our family loathes anything muggle. Although, Father _was_ quite partial to a Ms. Marilyn Monroe..." he said. Ella laughed, causing her broom handle to catch the light. Draco glanced down at the label. He did a double take.

"Is that a Firebolt 2000? They aren't supposed to release those until next year! How did you get one?" asked Draco. Ella glanced down at her broom and sighed.

"Being a very wanted Chaser will give you certain... perks. This little number was sent to me by the Bulgarian Quidditch Team. See these boots? Solid dragons hide. They were sent to me by the Romanian Quidditch team. All the padding I'm wearing? Ireland. This high-quality Quaffle? France. I have loads more stuff back at home," she said. It got boring after a while. All these teams kept sending her stuff, but it wasn't the stuff she cared about. It was the team's record that mattered.

"Wow... I didn't know you were that good," said Draco. He had heard great things about Ella's playing ability, but he never would have guessed that teams as big as Bulgaria would be looking at her. Draco was an average player but he was nowhere near as dedicated to the sport as Ella was.

"What do you want to work on?" asked Ella.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, at Durmstrang they make us work on everything from accuracy to style. They don't just focus on an individual position for one player, either. Each of us is trained for other positions," explained Ella. Draco got a confused look on his face. Ella rolled her eyes and broke it down a little more.

"Ok, I'm a Chaser. My job is to get the Quaffle past the Keeper. I assume you know the rules of Quidditch... anyway, if you understand how the Keeper thinks then you are able to figure out how to best get the Quaffle in. That's why when they first started training me as a Chaser, they also trained me as a Keeper. Now for Seekers, they also train them as Beaters. This is because the two balls that each position uses are very similar. Also, if you're a Seeker, the Beaters are probably going to be aiming to hit you. If you know how they think, you know where to hide," said Ella.

The training tactics at Durmstrang were complicated. They always tried to get the best out of everyone. Also, they tried their hardest to get their players on the big teams. In fact, every student that had been on Ella's team had graduated to become a player at national level. They even had a Quidditch class for students who were not on the team.

"So I assume you know Viktor Krum?" asked Draco.

"Yes, I do know Viktor. He was my... my good friend in his schooling days," said Ella, casting her eyes downward. She coughed and changed the subject.

"So, are you ready for some hard-core Quidditch training... Durmstrang style?" asked Ella with a cocky smile. Draco returned it and nodded.

"Ok then. What do I do... coach," he said. Ella motioned for him to follow her to the floor of the pitch. They landed and Ella dismounted. Draco followed her lead, still not sure what they were doing. Ella tossed her broom aside and took off her pads.

"Come on, Draco. Take off your pads. We'll start with something physical, so let's get physical," she said. She started stretching as Draco took off his pads. He had no idea what he was getting himself into. Ella smiled as she thought about it. He was going down.

"Ok. You know how to wrestle, right?" she asked. Draco nodded. "All right! Bring it on," she said in a cocky voice. Draco was confused. What was she having him do? Before he could answer his own question, Ella ran at him, circled her arms around his waist, threw him on the ground, and pinned him. Draco struggled to get free, but she had an iron hold.

"What the hell was that?"

"I told you we were going to wrestle! We do these three times a week at Durmstrang during practices. It's good exercise!" said Ella. She helped Draco back up to his feet. Now he knew what was coming.

"Wait a second," said Draco. He took off his Quidditch robe and shirt and tossed them aside. Ella's eyes got big at the sight of his abs. He had a rock hard body and she couldn't wait to pin it to the ground.

"I hope you don't expect me to take off my shirt," she said sarcastically. "Ok, next round starts on the count of three. One... two... three!" said Ella. They flew at each other. Ella managed to get Draco on the ground, but he flipped her over almost instantly. He tried to pin her, but she rolled out of it and hopped to her feet. What he didn't know was that she was the best wrestler on her team... and she was the only girl.

They locked arms and she twisted his around to his back. She pushed him to the ground and pinned him with all her weight. He wiggled and tried to break free, but whenever he did, she pulled his arm harder. She won again.

Draco rolled on his back and was breathing hard. This girl was half his size! How did she do it? She hadn't even broken a sweat! Ella smiled and sat down in grass. She amazed herself sometimes...

"How do you do that?" asked Draco. He couldn't understand how a girl as petite as Ella could possibly pin him so quickly. Ella threw her head back and laughed.

"I've taken down guys bigger than you. It's not very difficult. Just remember that you're only as strong as you think you are," she said.

"That makes sense, but can we work on some actual _Quidditch_ things now? This is getting really dull, really fast," said Draco. Ella rocked back on her heals and jumped to her feet.

"Alright. You better get your broom," said Ella. Draco got up from where he sat in the cool grass. He walked to his broom and picked it up. Ella got a smile on her face... once again, he had no idea what was coming his way.

They mounted their broomsticks and kicked off. Ella reached cruising altitude and halted. Draco stopped even with her and rocked back and forth on his broom. She was fumbling in her pockets looking for something. After a few moments, she pulled out a small golden Snitch and held it up. Draco got a smile on his face.

"I think it's time for a little friendly competition," said Ella. She hadn't Seeked for nearly two years, but she was confident in her abilities. "Let's see who can catch this sucker."

Draco cracked a smile. "Ok then," he said. Ella held the Snitch out for him to release. Draco shoved it back at her. Everyone knew that it was bad luck to release the Snitch. "Ladies first."

"Age before beauty," said Ella, shoving it back into his hand. He couldn't argue with her there.

Draco let go of the Snitch in his hand and felt Ella zoom off after it. He had to grasp his broom so the wind she created didn't knock him off. After he regained his composure, he took off in the opposite direction.

They both circled the pitch without much luck. Draco kept one eye on Ella the entire time. She was an expert flier. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ella zoom up in the air at warp speed. He turned his broom and followed after her. She turned her broom downwards into a spiral. She was heading straight towards the ground. Draco was hot on her tail, but just as she was inches from the ground, she pulled up. Draco managed to stop his broom in time. It was a perfect demonstration of the Wronski Feint... even better than Viktor Krum.

By the time Draco had gotten himself back to normal, Ella flew at him holding the Snitch in her right hand. Draco hung his head in defeat. She always seemed to beat him at everything. He was the Seeker, not her.

"Nice try, Draco. You did a great job pulling out of that dive. I think your problem is that you need to make your reaction time a little faster," said Ella. Draco rolled his eyes. Maybe she was right, but he got tired of her _always_ being right.

"Yeah, yeah... whatever. How about you show me your skills as a Chaser? I hear that you're very, very talented," he said. Ella blushed.

"Well, alright," she said. Ella pulled out her wand and summoned the Quaffle, which had fallen to the ground. "You're going to have to Keep for me," she added. Draco nodded and flew towards the set of hoops at the south end of the pitch.

He positioned himself in front of the middle hoop. Ella took off from the middle of the pitch with the Quaffle under her arm. Draco zoomed out to the edge of the line that encircled the hoops. Ella kept coming straight at him and didn't show any signs of stopping. Draco ducked as she flew over him and threw the Quaffle into the left hoop. She flew after it and caught it.

Draco went back to his position. Ella went back to hers. Draco flew in and out of the hoops. Ella flew at a slower pace this time. When she was a good twenty feet away from Draco, she sat up on her broom and threw the Quaffle with all her might. Draco held out his hand to try and snatch it, but when he felt the impact of the ball against his hand, he pulled it away. It felt as if it had broken in two. Ella flew at him with a look of concern on her face.

"Oh, Draco! I'm so sorry! I just remembered that I forgot to give you the Keeper gloves!" said Ella, grabbing his hand and looking at it. It was red and swollen. She pulled out her wand and muttered a simple incantation. The redness and swelling went away. Draco flexed his fingers and stared at her. She pulled a pair of heavily padded gloves out of her bag.

"Here. These should help," said Ella, handing the gloves to him. He put them on quickly and went back to his position in the goals.

Over the next thirty minutes, Draco managed to stop three out of twenty-six attempted goals. Ella's arm seemed to throw the ball as if it were being shot out of a cannon. He glanced at his watch. It was almost six forty-five and dinner was being served at seven.

"Ella, we have fifteen minutes until dinner. We better get going," he said. They landed and shouldered their brooms. Ella and Draco were both sweating profusely by the time they were done. The sun was starting to set and a small breeze was beginning to blow through the trees. Draco put his arm around Ella's shoulders as they walked through the forest together.

Moonlight crept in through Draco's window. He had been tossing and turning for nearly an hour now. Maybe it was all the chocolate mousse he had had at dinner...

He decided that sleep wasn't going to come easily tonight, so he pulled his blanket off and crawled out of bed. His clock read one thirty-seven. Draco walked around his room humming some random song. He wasn't even remotely tired, so he walked into his sitting room and out onto the balcony.

Draco rested his hands on the railing and breathed in the cool July air. There was a full moon out and it shined down on him. He closed his eyes and he swore he was hearing angels sing on this beautiful night. It took him a minute to realize that someone _was_ singing.

He looked around for the source of the sound and saw it in the rose garden. If he didn't know any better, he would have swore she was an angel. Ella was walking through the garden in her white nightgown, singing softly to herself. She stopped every now and then to smell the flowers.

Draco rested his chin on his hand and just looked at her. Her gown was flowing around her knees and her hair was blowing around her shoulders. She looked up from where she stood and saw him. She blew him a kiss and he returned it. Ella motioned for him to come down and meet her. Draco didn't object and turned to go down the stairs.

He reached the garden where she stood waiting for him under the gazebo. He walked up to her and she turned towards him and smiled. He stood next to her and gazed up at the stars. He felt her arm work its way around his waist. He turned his gaze on her and saw that she was looking up at him with those crystal blue eyes. Draco looked at her and wanted nothing more than to kiss her... but she pulled away.

"What do you say we go for a walk?" she asked. Draco didn't break eye contact with her. Instead, he just nodded. Ella took his hand in hers and they walked out of the garden and onto the forest path.

The moon lit their way as they walked through the woods together. They came to a fork in the road and stopped.

"Draco? Where does this road lead to?" she asked, pointing to the left fork. The right one led to the stables, but she had never been down the left one.

"Oh, that one. It leads to a little lake we have here... nothing special," he said. Draco started to walk off, but Ella grabbed his arm and made him stop.

"Can we go there?"

"Ella, it's got to be freezing down there at this time of night."

"I don't care. I just want to go see it," she asked. There was a pleading look about her that he just couldn't say no to. He rolled his eyes and led her down the path.

They walked in silence the whole way there. The forest was thicker in this part and the trees were overgrown. Moss hung down from old branches, making Ella and Draco have to duck their heads as they walked by. They rounded a corner and found the lake sparkling in front of them.

It was a beautiful sight. The full moon was reflecting on the surface of the water. There were a few lily pads floating around and the willow trees draped their branches over the surface. Ella let go of Draco's hand and walked to the bank.

Draco stood rooted on the spot as he watched her go. She bent over and touched the surface of the water with her finger tips. From where he was, he could see her reflection in the water. A breeze came through and blew her hair off of her shoulders. The presence of her made the scene more picturesque.

Ella stood up and hugged herself. The sudden breeze had caused the hair on her arms to stand up. The water was pretty warm... compared to the water in Bulgaria. She felt like a quick swim.

She slipped her arms out of the straps on her gown and let it fall to ground. Draco watched in astonishment. All he could see was her bare back. The black lace of her underwear stood out against her pale skin.

Ella dunked her head under the water. She didn't realize that Draco was standing there watching the scene with his mouth nearly on the ground. At Durmstrang, everyone went skinny-dipping. It was as common as swimming in a swim suit... but Draco didn't know that.

"Umm, Ella?" he said, his voice shaky.

"Come on out with me, Draco! The water's great!" she yelled back to him. Draco didn't know how to react. Should he go out with her? Ella was just swimming around... no harm could come from it. He pulled off his shirt and started towards the water.

Draco pulled off his pants and walked his way out into the lake. Ella was waiting for him in about the middle of the lake. It wasn't very deep and he could touch the bottom wherever he went. He dunked under for a second to get himself used to the temperature.

Ella swam over to meet him. He kept his hands firmly at his side, scared he might touch anything. In a joking manner, Ella splashed some water towards him. It covered his head and he let out a laugh. He splashed her back and they splashed and splashed each other until Draco started swimming after her. Ella began to swim away from him, laughing all the way.

Draco finally managed to grab onto her arm and they stopped. They both caught their breath, still letting out little fits of laughter. They didn't understand why they were laughing... maybe it was the moonlight or maybe it was the fact that they were both half naked and swimming in freezing cold water.

Draco was still holding onto her arm. He looked up at the moon that was shining down on them, and felt instantly warmed, even though he was freezing in the water. Ella shook the hair from her eyes and turned her gaze on him.

He was still holding her arm but he was staring up at the sky. She swam a little ways over to where he was and touched his arm. He snapped back to reality and looked into her eyes. She was still wearing a smile on her face. Draco smiled back. Ella closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and then come to rest on her hip bones.

"Draco, I know I've only really known you for less than a summer, but I feel as if I've known you longer," whispered Ella.

"I feel that same way," he responded. He could see the reflection of the full moon in her blue eyes.

"I just don't get it... I've never felt the way I have this summer. I don't know if it's just that I'm in a new place or what... but I'm thinking that it's you," she said. She chewed on her bottom lip, feeling nervous.

"I know what you mean... we've only truly known each other for about a month, but already I feel as if you know me better than my friends I've known all my life," he said. He wasn't lying. There was no way in hell that Crabbe and Goyle would be able to have an intelligent conversation with him. There was also no way that he would be able to discuss his feelings with anyone at Hogwarts.

"Draco?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind if I totally snogged you senseless right now?"

"Not at all," said Draco. Ella pressed herself against him, kissing him with every bit of passion that was in her body. He kissed her back as she entwined her fingers in his long blonde hair. Draco didn't object, and pushed her into him. This was the best snog he had ever had in his life.

Brutus walked the banks of the lake and watched the scene unfold. After five minutes of watching it all, he stamped the earth and turned back into the forest, his tail catching the moon light. He took one final look back and watched Ella and Draco submerge in the water, still wrapped tightly in each others arms. He shook his head and trotted back down the path and into the trees.


	5. Chapter 5

"Ok, is everyone ready to go?" said Dominique as she hustled around the room making sure everyone was ready. They were going to Paris for the day to do some robe shopping. Dominique knew of a cute little bridal boutique there. It was where Narcissa had purchased her wedding gown.

"Everybody seems to be ready, so let's go!" said Narcissa. She walked over to the fireplace and reached into the glass jar that held the Floo Powder. She threw it over the fire, stepped forward, and clearly spoke her destination.

"Jeune Mariée Boutique!" she said clearly. In a swirl of emerald-green flames, she was gone. Draco went next, followed by Melanie, Dominique, and then Ella.

When Ella stepped out of the fire, she was met by the sound of beautiful music and the sight of robes and gowns in every color imaginable. Her eyes darted in every direction taking in all of the sights and smells. She noticed her mother along with the rest of the group speaking to a lady who must work there.

"Well, Ms. Black, you are right on time for your appointment! Please, right this way," said the woman.

She led them into a back room that was draped in a cream colored fabric. Classical music played and there was a central stage that had a spot light shining down on it. The woman motioned for them to sit on one of the many winged backed chairs that surrounded the stage.

"My name is Mimi and I will be your stylist today," she said. The lady called Mimi sat in one of the chairs and put on some rhinestone-rimmed glasses. She rummaged through the tote bag at her side.

"Ms. Black, what did you have in mind for your perfect gown?" she said, taking out a piece of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink. Dominique pondered for a moment. Since she was a little girl, she had dreamed of this day, and she knew just what she wanted.

"Well, I what I've always wanted is a really fitted top piece, with a big, puffy bottom. I'm thinking of a white, strapless gown with maybe a little bit of black embroidery on the bodice maybe even a corset top," she said. Mimi nodded her head and took some final notes on her parchment before looking up.

"Can I please have you step up onto this platform so that I can take your measurements?" she said. Dominique rose up out of her chair and did as she was told. Mimi pulled out a tape measurer. It was the same variety that Mr. Ollivander used. It began to take her measurements as Mimi wrote them all down. When it was finished, it coiled onto the ground at Dominique's feet. Mimi gathered everything into her bag again.

"I will be right back with some gowns that fit these specifications," she said as she left the room.

Draco was nodding off in his chair. This was a very boring experience for him. Why couldn't he just go to their country villa that was on the outskirts of Paris? Or at least he could go to the Quidditch store that was right down the road

Ella glanced over and saw that Draco's eyes were starting to close. She reached over and gently shook him awake.

"Draco? You need to stay awake for this, sweetheart," she said. Draco straightened up and rubbed his eyes. Since their adventure in the lake five days ago, their friendship had blossomed into a relationship. They both knew that things were moving fast it had only been a month since they had met. Being the hopeless romantic that Ella was, she had written to her friends talking about how it had been "love at first sight."

Mimi returned to their room with a rack that held about six different gowns. She wheeled the cart around and motioned for Dominique to come and have a look.

"Oh my! They're all so beautiful! Um I think I'll try this one on first," she said, pulling a white satin dress off of the rack. It was all white except for a strip of black satin at the very top of the bodice. Mimi took her back to a room and closed the curtains.

"Excuse my rudeness; I completely forgot to ask you if you would like a beverage. Can I get you anything?" she said, addressing the group.

"I would like a small brandy," said Melanie.

"A glass of sparkling water is fine," said Narcissa.

"Red wine, please," said Ella.

"I'll have a large butterbeer," requested Draco. Mimi went out of the room but returned with a cart that held all of their desired drinks.

"Ms. Stone? Would you prefer Elf or Goblin made wine?" she said, addressing the two bottles that were chilling in a bucket of ice.

"Elf made, please," said Ella. Mimi poured her a glass of blood red wine into a tall crystal glass. She handed it to Ella, who took a sip before setting it on the table beside her chair.

Mimi passed out the rest of their drinks, just in time for Dominique to emerge from the curtains wearing the dress. She was met by the excited voices of their group. She stepped up onto the platform and did a spin.

"Oh Dee! It's beautiful!" said Narcissa. Dominique looked in the mirror that was behind the stage, examining every inch of the dress. It was beautiful, that was for sure. But there just seemed to be something missing.

"Hmm Ms. Black, can I have you step over here please? The bodice isn't fitting correctly," said Mimi, pulling out her wand. Dominique seemed to float as she walked over to where Mimi stood. Mimi poked at the loose places that were around the bust and waist area. They all watched as they began to shrink until they fit Dominique like an extra skin.

"Cissy? What do you think?" she said as she turned in front of the mirror, a not-to-excited look on her face. Now that the bodice fit her perfectly, she began to see some flaws in the dress it just didn't have that "wow" factor.

"I think it's beautiful, but we can do better," said Narcissa. Draco began nodding off again. This was a very, very boring experience for him.

"Mother? Can I go to the Quidditch shop down the road at least until you need me?" he asked with a pleading tone. His mothers deep blue eyes turned on him with a sad expression in them.

"Draco, I would really appreciate it if you were here for this. We will only shop for a little while longer, and then we're going to go to lunch. After that we will be going out to the villa to rest up before we head home," she said. Narcissa wasn't surprised that he didn't want to be here. Draco always found an activity boring if it wasn't all about him.

"Alright, Mother," he said. Ella was still sitting in her chair sipping on her wine. Even she was finding this boring. She polished off her glass and turned to where her mother sat, examining Dominique in her dress.

"Excuse me, Mother. May I please go look at some of their formal robes? You promised me a new pair for this year's Harvest Ball," said Ella. She was pouring on the charm. She figured that the more polite she was, the better robes she could get.

"Oh, I guess so," said Melanie with a wave of her hand.

"Draco, you need a new pair as well. Why don't you go have a look?" said Narcissa. She was getting tired of looking at her son when he had such a smug look on his face.

"Alright," said Draco. He rose from his chair and followed Ella out into the big showroom. Ella went straight for the women's section. She had been in here before and she loved the intricate designs and attention to detail that was put into every robe. She saw Draco walk over to the much smaller men's section. He was casually walking through it as if it were nothing. She watched him stop at the window and look longingly at the outside world. Ella rolled her eyes and walked over to where he stood, leaning against the window.

"What's the matter?" said Ella as she draped her arms around his waist. He looked down at her and flashed a polite smile. He looked almost distant.

"Nothing I just didn't sleep very good last night, that's all," he said. Something about him said that he was holding something back. Ella cocked an eyebrow and looked up at him.

"Are you sure?" she said. Ella hadn't known him long, but she could read him like a book and she knew that that wasn't the only reason.

"Well, I'm just nervous about this next school year, I guess. I'm supposed to be made the captain of my house Quidditch team, and I just don't know if I'm ready. I mean, I have worked for this ever since my first year What if I make our team look like a mockery?" he said, looking at her with worried eyes. Ella let out a little giggle.

"Draco, that's nothing to be worried about. You are a very talented player who cares very much about the game of Quidditch. You work your ass off to keep in shape and make sure that you're at the top of your game. Anyone who can't see that is an idiot. I wouldn't worry about it at all," she said. Ella got up on her tip-toes and kissed him. "Come on, handsome. Let's find you some new robes," she teased, grabbing his hand and leading him into the sea of black that was the men's section.

They looked around the robes for a little while, occasionally pulling things off the rack so that they could have a closer look. Draco was always drawn to the all black ensembles, and Ella was pretty annoyed at this. She was a colorful person, and always wore color and she knew that Draco was colorful, too.

"Hey Draco, try this red robe!" she said excitedly, pulling a crimson set of robes off of the rack. He got a look of sheer disgust on his face. "What?" she asked, looking for anything that might be wrong with it.

"Those are GRYFFINDOR colors! I wouldn't be caught dead in those," he said, turning away from Ella and the robe. She put them back on the rack in a huff.

"Fine Draco, what colors are more appropriate for you?" she said, putting her hands on her hips. Draco looked around the room, stroking his chin. When he saw what he liked, he walked right over and pulled it off of the rack.

"These colors are much, much more suitable," he said. The robes he had chosen were a hunter green color. Underneath, there was a silver vest with black trousers. Ella raised her eyebrows at the sheer ridiculousness of the color scheme. She tried to hold back the laughter, but it broke free.

"Hun, I'm sorry, but those are the most ridiculous colors I have ever seen in my life! Here, let me show you a better way to add green to your formal wear," she said, putting the tacky green robes back in their place. She pulled Draco over to where they sold separates. She set Draco down in a chair and went to work. When she was out of school, she planned on becoming a fashion major if she didn't go pro at Quidditch, that is.

She grabbed a black robe, a silver vest, and a white oxford off of the shelves. Then, she grabbed a hunter green tie from a tie rack. She shoved all these garments into Draco's arms and led him over to the fitting rooms. She pushed him in and closed the curtains.

Ella paced outside the fitting room for a good ten minutes. Was he lost or something?

"Draco? Do you need me in there?" she said into the curtains. She heard movement and before she could say anything else, Draco popped out of the curtains with a flourish.

Ella stood back and took everything in. All of the clothes fit him perfectly! The green tie looked beautiful with the silver and the black. Draco spun in a circle and did a catwalk in front of a wall of mirrors. He stopped and looked at himself.

"Damn I'm good looking!" he said with a smile. Ella started laughing. Draco was full of himself, but she didn't mind. He was a big sweetie underneath it all.

"Yes you are, sweetheart," she said. Draco wrapped her into his arms and dipped her down, planting a wet, sloppy kiss on her lips.

"What was that for?" she said in shock. Draco laughed.

"It was just a sweet little gesture for the woman in my life," he said. Ella blushed.

"Well, I say you buy these little garments," Ella told him. Draco glanced down at himself one final time before nodding. He went back into the dressing room and put his regular robes back on.

When he emerged from the fitting room, he found Ella looking over in the woman's department. Draco dropped off his robes with a woman who worked there and went over to meet her. She was fingering a pink silk robe with a low cut neckline that was embroidered with different colored flowers.

"That's a good looking robe," said Draco, eyeing the low neckline. Ella turned at him with a questioning look in her eyes. She put the robe down and walked on. Draco shrugged his shoulders and followed.

"I need one with fall colors this _is_ the "Harvest" Ball after all," she said. Ella looked through the muted colors and didn't see anything that she liked. There weren't many girls at Durmstrang, so she had to look her best to outshine the ones that _were_ there.

"I hate all these colors," said Ella, stamping her foot like a spoiled little kid. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Then don't get these colors. Ella, don't blend in when you were born to stand out," said Draco, putting his hands on her shoulders. He felt her shiver at his touch.

"You're right, Mr. Malfoy. I'm going to get a bright colored robe even if it's the last thing I ever do!" she said determinedly. Draco chuckled as he watched her high-heeled feet tromp over to the section that included bright pink, bright blue, and red robes.

Watching Ella shop was like watching a Quidditch match. She would go from one section to another as fast as if she were flying on a broomstick. Draco almost had to jog just to keep up with her. Ella had grabbed three robes before she grabbed a sales person and headed to the fitting rooms. Draco sat patiently in a chair and waited for her.

When she emerged the first time, she was wearing a beautiful white robe. It was very plain and made out of a velvety material. She twirled and watched the bottom of the robe flair out at the bottom. She twisted her smile into a frown and went back into the room.

The second time she came out, she was in a magenta strapless gown. It went down to about mid calf and included jewels that went along the side and around the bottom of the gown. To be honest, the dress looked ok on her but it wasn't what she was looking for. This time, she turned to Draco and asked his opinion.

"Draco? What do you think?" she asked, turning for him. Draco frowned a little.

"I know that you can do much, much better than this," he said. He knew that there was one color that always looked fabulous on Ella he had seen her in it a few times while she was here. Ella got a smile on her face because she knew the color he was talking about. She went back into the room and emerged a few moments later wearing a beautiful sky blue robe.

Draco's jaw dropped. The color matched her eyes perfectly. It was a long sleeved, floor length gown with a silver embroidered dragon on the side. It had a very deep scoop neck that showed off her beautiful cleavage. Ella was wearing a smile on her face and seemed to be walking on air.

"Wow," was all Draco could get out. The way she looked was flawless. Her tiny waist was made smaller by the dragon that sat on her hip and circled its way up and around to the back of the dress.

"I love it!" Ella said as she twirled. She was giggling and jumping up and down. This may be the most perfect robe she had ever put on in her life.

"Draco, Ella! We're finished shopping here for today," said Melanie stepping into the dressing rooms. When she saw her daughter, she stopped dead in her tracks. She raised her hand to her mouth.

"Oh, Ella! You look gorgeous!" she said. Melanie could already picture her daughter with her hair up in a tight bun on the top of her head with some silver heels. She was proud of her daughter, especially after everything she had been through in her life

Before she could begin to reminisce about the past, the rest of the girls had found where she had gone and began to comment on how beautiful Ella looked.

"Draco, did you find anything?" asked Narcissa. Draco explained about how they had managed to find a good set of robes for him.

After Ella had changed back into her regular clothes, she met them at the front counter to make their purchases. Draco was waiting casually by everyone else with his hands in his pockets.

"That will be one hundred and twelve galleons, Mrs. Malfoy," said the lady at the counter. Narcissa handed the woman her Gringotts card and she scanned it with her wand. She put the clothes into a garment bag and handed them to Draco.

Ella approached them with her dress rested neatly over her arms. Melanie stepped forward to pay for it. Everyone seemed to be tired from the shopping they had done today. Draco especially.

"There you are, Mrs. Stone. Have a fabulous day!" the sales woman said again. The group met outside the store and began the discussion on where to go for lunch.

"There is a cute little café down the street if no one's hungry for a full meal," said Dominique. No one seemed to object, so they started on their way down the cobblestone road.

Ella reached down and laced her fingers with Draco's. The sun was bright and beautiful today and made his hair shined like gold. He yawed and rubbed his gray eyes. Why is it that Draco could do this simple gesture with such sex appeal? Ella didn't understand this at all.

"Here we are!" said Dominique when they were in front of a little stone building with tables out front. It was a cute little shop and they could all smell the sweet smell of pastries coming from the open door. They walked inside and were greeted by an enthusiastic young man who worked behind the counter.

"Bon jour! How may I be of service?" he asked. Everyone ordered their assortment of pastries and caffeine drinks before heading outside to sit in the shade of the umbrellas that covered the tables.

Lunch didn't take very long, and they were soon on their way to the Malfoy's villa that was on the outskirts of the magical side of Paris. It was a small little cottage they the Malfoy's often stayed in during the summer. Paris was a popular destination for his family, mainly because his mother felt a strong attachment to the city.

They arrived at _Sang Pur _Estate at roughly four thirty in the afternoon. The women headed into the living room to rest up before heading home. Ella on the other hand, was anxious to see the garden that was out back. She had noticed night away how much the Malfoy's seemed to enjoy gardening.

"Draco? Can we go out back to see the garden?" asked Ella, putting on her best puppy dog face. Draco looked down at her and smiled.

"All right Ella. Now put that lip away," he said, pointing to her lip that was in a pout.

They walked through the small cottage and through the French doors that led onto a brick patio. Right away, Ella saw all the roses. She had noticed at the other house how many roses were planted. At Malfoy Manor, she had seen their lavish rose gardens and was envious of their beauty. She had to understand why they had such an obsession.

"What's with your family's rose addiction?" asked Ella, gesturing at the large garden in front of her. Draco got a smile on his face and grabbed her hand. He led her over to a white rose bush.

"Well, it all started with my great grandfather. He was a very handsome wizard and had many wives. Even now, we Malfoy men are known for our talent with the ladies. But when you're a ladies man, you are known to break a few hearts. Somehow, people began to compare us with roses. Would you like to know why?" he said, fingering a small rose bud that was on the bush. Ella was intrigued now.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Roses are a beautiful, sweet smelling flower. You can't help but want to touch or smell them," he said, wrapping his fingers around the stem of the rose. He grimaced a little as he pulled the flower from the bush.

"You have to be careful, however because of the thorns," he said, pulling his hand away from the stem, revealing a few cuts that were beginning to drip blood. A drop of the red liquid fell upon the snowy whiteness of the flower. "They might prick you if you're not careful," he finished, looking back into Ella's eyes. She was looking at him with calm expression on her face. She smiled a little.

"You're not going to prick _me_ are you, Draco?" she asked, grabbing his bleeding hand in hers. She pulled out her wand and healed the punctures on his palm. She looked back up and saw that his expression was soft and his lips were turned up in a sweet little smile.

"Ms. Stone, if he can help it, this Malfoy rose has no intention of _ever _pricking your pretty little hands," he said, putting his hands in hers and pulling them to his lips. Something about the tone of Draco's voice brought a tear to Ella's eye not because she was saddened by his words, but because she knew that they were true. Every last one.


	6. Chapter 6

August 2nd. Today, John Bancroft, Lucius, John's brother Derek, Ella's brother Scott, and Ella's father Keith were arriving. It was early in the morning. Maybe eight o'clock. The whole of the Malfoy household was already up and active. Once the men arrived, they would be leaving for a two-week stay in Paris to make some final adjustments for the wedding. They were all extremely excited.

"Ella! Did you get your dress robes? We will be going to some nice restaurants while we are there!" Melanie yelled up the stairs at her daughter. She was frustrated with her by now. Whenever they were leaving somewhere, she always forgot something.

"Yes, Mother! Have you seen my Durmstrang dress robes? Daddy said we had some fancy dinner to go to!" Ella yelled back. Whenever they went to some Ministry dinner, she had to wear her blood red robes with the fur collar. They were to show that she was proud to attend the fine Durmstrang institute.

Draco walked around his room gathering up his belongings that he would need for his stay in Paris. He always enjoyed staying there in the summertime. It was his escape from reality. Sure, it was going to be mainly about getting things ready for the wedding, but he loved the Quidditch atmosphere. France was a leader in the Quidditch league this year, and he was hoping to be able to get into the game that they would be playing. He wasn't sure whom they were up against yet.

Draco grabbed his packed trunk and dragged it into the hall where he saw Ella. She was wearing a pink knee length skirt with a matching blazer and magenta high heels. She looked more girly today than he had seen her in the two months she had lived here. Maybe it was the fact that her father and brother would be here today...

"Ok, the boys should be here any minute!" said Narcissa. She was hurrying around making sure that everyone was ready to go. When she was in Paris, she didn't like to leave... for anything. She saw that everyone was standing in the entry hall, ready to go. At eight thirty, the front door opened and the four boys walked in.

"John!" yelled Dominique as she rushed at her fiancé with open arms. They met in a sweet embrace that included a kiss. Ella signed. Love was her favorite subject.

Draco shook hands with his father, John, and Derek. There were two that he didn't recognize... he figured that they must be Scott and Keith, Ella's brother and father. The whole Stone family was gathered in a circle, conversing. They all were very similar in the way they looked and acted.

Ella and Melanie both played with their earlobes a lot... it got somewhat annoying. In addition, Scott and Keith were both very muscular men who stood with their arms crossed and brows furrowed a lot of the time. Three out of the four Stones had blonde hair. Melanie was the lone brunette. Scott kept glancing over at Draco a lot with a look of sheer disgust on his face. Draco just played it cool. To him, it didn't matter that Ella's brother and father both looked like they could easily break him in half... he had protection from his father, who was the top duelist at Hogwarts in his day.

Ella was watching Draco out of the corner of her eye. He seemed very relaxed with his father, John, and Derek. Ella had always had a little crush on Derek... even though it was no news that he was a Death Eater. Derek was covered in tattoos and he had a piercing in his nose and left ear, but there was a certain attraction to him. His long, dark brown hair was untidy and out of place. There was a bad-boy characteristic about him that was quite appealing. He was also extremely thin and his skin just seemed to stretch over his frame of bones.

"So Scott, how has things in Romania been?" Ella asked her older brother. Scott was a dragon handler and researcher in the eastern part of Romania. Since he had graduated at Beauxbatons four years ago, he had been living there most of the time.

"Things have been ok. I took a blow from a Horntail last week, though. He got me right in the thigh," he said, grabbing where he had been hit. Ella knew that her mother worried about Scott. What he did was dangerous business. He practically wrestled with dragons every day. If it were Ella's child, she'd be having a heart attack herself.

"Ok, everyone! Can I have your attention?" said Narcissa, over the hum of conversation. Everyone quieted down and looked at her.

"We all seem to be ready to go, so I say let's hit the road!" she finished, giving a swish of her robes. Everyone gathered their trunks and walked out to the front of Malfoy Manor where a large limo was waiting for them. There were "ooo's" and "aww's" from the four girls.

"The ministry decided to loan me this for the day," said Keith. He worked in the Department of Magical Games and Sports.

"AWESOME!" said Ella as she ran to the long, black car's door. She was always excited when her father got to use some of the ministry cars. They were always so roomy and comfortable... and they came with a limo driver, who opened the door so Ella could climb inside.

Shortly after she climbed in, Draco followed her. They sat towards the front of the passenger cab. He flashed a sweet little smile. Ella was worried about he would get along with Scott and her father. Her family was very protective of her... that's why she had been transferred from Beauxbatons. An old family friend went to Durmstrang... and he was known for his strength. That and the fact that Ella needed to be somewhere that would encourage her interest in Quidditch.

Everyone piled into the car and Keith motioned for the driver to get going. The ministry cars worked a lot like the Knight Bus: they moved quickly and stealthily to get you to your destination.

In a matter of about thirty minutes, they were at _Sang Pur_ Estate. The gates opened wide for them and they parked in front of the villa. They stepped out of the limo and the servants began to unload their trunks. The group made their way into the house.

They settled out on the screened-in porch. This was where Draco liked to spend his time at the villa. Here, and at the pool. He was naturally pale, but he could sometimes work up a little bit of a tan if he set his mind to it. He collapsed in one of the many wicker rocking chairs that were set up around a central coffee table. The sun was shining in on them and Draco was almost sleeping in its warmth. Summer was by far his favorite season... next to Quidditch season, that is.

"It sure is good to be back," said Lucius, who sat in a chair beside his son. Even though he loved his high style life back in Britain, there was a certain serenity to the country of France. It felt as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Everyone gathered in the small room now. They all carried on with their conversations while Draco looked longingly outside at the pool. It was hard to stay indoors when it was so nice out. Draco sat up in his chair.

"Father, do you mind if I go out to the pool for a little while?" asked Draco. It's not that he was avoiding the wedding party; he just wanted to feel the warmth of the sun for a change.

"Sure, son. We'll just be here planning what we need to do while we're in Paris," said Lucius. Draco rose from his chair and walked through the house.

Their villa wasn't near as dark as Malfoy Manor. Most of the walls were still white, or done in a pastel color. Flowers and colorful paintings replaced the odd instruments and dark tapestries that littered the walls of his permanent residence. Life in Paris was so simple. All you had to do was worry about how long you were in the sun before you fried, or when you were going to go into town and see the sights.

When he reached his room, he found that his trunk was waiting for him at the foot of his bed. He didn't like the décor of his room here very much. The pale blue color had been there as long as he could remember. He had begged his mother for years to change it, but she had either politely refused or intentionally forgot. Finally, he had just given up the battle... this house would one day be his to do with what he pleased.

Draco undid the lock on his trunk and began digging through it until he found his swimming suit..., which, of course, was at the very bottom. He walked down the hall to the little bathroom on the right. After he stripped down and pulled on his suit, he began digging through the cabinets for a beach towel. Someone seemed to have rearranged the house in his absence because there was none of them in sight. He let out a sigh and walked a few more yards down the hall to the linen closet. He found it stocked full with beach towels in every color. He grabbed a green one and walked back downstairs.

He passed the group, who were still in the screened in porch. Ella was talking and laughing with Derek. Draco had to admit, the guy was pretty cool. He was either always happy, or pissed off about something... a very typical Death Eater.

Draco stepped outside and breathed in the warm, French air. It was clean and pure and filled him up with a feeling of great warmth. The little estate hadn't changed much since the Malfoy family had first purchased it over one hundred years ago. The only major change that had been made was adding a pool, which Draco enjoyed very much.

When he had walked fully through the many gardens of _Sang Pur_, he came to a gated area. He punched the code into the pad and it swung open for him. Draco breathed a sigh of relief and nearly jogged over to a chair that was set up poolside.

He threw his towel onto the chair and dove into the pool headfirst. When he rose up, he was laughing and began swimming to the shallower end. He swam around for about fifteen minutes and then decided that it was time to add some color to his milky skin.

Ella sat talking with Derek, but wasn't really paying attention to very much of what he said. Occasionally, he would crack a joke and she would giggle halfheartedly. Draco seemed to be ignoring her lately, and she didn't like it. She wanted to make the most of the little time they still had before the summer ended.

Wow, summer would end. Then what? What would happen to her and Draco's friendship then? She would go back to her life at Durmstrang, and he would go back to his at Hogwarts. They would write letters every now and then... possibly only on holidays. She didn't even want to think of that. Ella had been thinking that this summer would last forever. It seemed like it would, she was enjoying it so much. She shook the thought from her head. She would deal with the end of this newfound heaven when she had to.

Ella watched as Draco walked out into the garden and down to the pool. He hadn't wasted any time in enjoying his vacation. Why shouldn't she? However, she didn't quite feel like a dip in the pool... she felt like doing something to keep her mind occupied. Ella thought about it for a moment, and decided that unpacking her trunk might be a good idea.

"Excuse me, I think I'm going to go take care of my unpacking, or it won't ever get done," she said with a little giggle. Everyone said their farewell as she left to go find the upstairs bedrooms.

She found her trunk in a room that was painted a pastel pink color with a cute little canopy bed. The comforter had different types of flowers all over it. The room reminded her of a B&B that she had been to once.

Ella noticed right away that there was not a closet in her room. She put her hands on her hips and began to wonder where she was going to put her extensive clothing collection. She relaxed when she found the large, wooden wardrobe that was sitting in the corner of the room.

She walked over to it and touched its smooth surface. It looked very old... maybe it had even came to the house when it was built over one hundred years ago. Oh, how Ella loved to find out the history of things. Some called her nosey, but Ella called it "wanting all the facts."

Ella grabbed the handles of the wardrobe and prepared to unpack her trunk. It wouldn't open, so she yanked harder. The doors finally flew open and she was flung backwards onto the ground. A large, leather-bound book fell on the floor in front of her.

Ella touched the dusty cover of this mystery object that seemed to have fallen out of nowhere. She opened it cautiously and a puff of dust flew up and hit her face. Coughing, she waved her hand to try to get it away from her nose. When she glanced back at the page, she noticed that it was a photo album.

The pictures seemed to have been taken at this very house. When she looked closer, she saw that they were of a very pregnant Narcissa and a semi-pregnant Melanie. They were smiling up at her and waving from their place on the page. She smiled, closed and picked up the album, and walked downstairs to show her mother the ancient history that she had discovered.

She found everyone out on the stone patio in rose garden. Ella walked over to where Melanie sat sipping what looked like iced pumpkin juice. She set the photo album on the table in front of her.

"Look what I found in my wardrobe, Mother," said Ella. Melanie opened the album and let out a gasp. She began to finger through the pictures excitedly.

"Oh Narcissa! Remember when this picture was taken?" asked Melanie with a little laugh. Narcissa glanced over and the picture in question and began to go into an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

"Aw yes, ladies night in Paris when you're nine months pregnant... that's an experience," she said.

The picture was of Narcissa and Melanie, both very young and very pregnant, and a few other girls that Ella didn't recognize. Melanie was wearing an oversized sombrero and holding a glass in her left hand. Narcissa looked as if she was going to explode, her belly was so big.

"Mother, what were you doing?" Ella asked. Melanie and Narcissa looked at each other.

"Cissy, let me tell the story!" said Melanie. She looked like a schoolgirl that was ready to spill the latest gossip.

"Well honey, it was two weeks before Narcissa's due date. We had had a few of the girls over for a baby shower, we got a little bored..., and when you are in Paris, you cannot be bored. Therefore, we decided to go out on the town. We ended up in this little Mexican bar called El Loro Borracho. The rest of our group was not pregnant, so of course the alcohol was flowing the minute we stepped in the door.

"Me and Cissy, being the good girls we are, stuck with drinking pumpkin juice the whole night. Oh, the girls felt so bad... and then we discovered there were drinks called "Virgin Margaritas" which have absolutely no alcohol in them! We were so overjoyed that we drank about six of them apiece. Afterwards, however, they got us to do a limbo contest... let me remind you that poor Cissy could burst at any minute. Nevertheless, we were the life of the party, and agreed to do it.

"Now sweetheart, when you are bending that low, in tight pants, are pregnant, and have just drank about four very large beverages, you need to watch your activity level. After that little adventure, we must have pissed our brains out for the next three hours!" said Melanie, finishing the story. They all laughed until their sides hurt and their eyes were watering. Finally, they all regained her composure.

"That night we had our own little Mexican adventure in the heart of downtown Paris! Aw, those were the days...," said Narcissa sadly, looking at the page. She grabbed the corner of the page and turned it.

"Cissy, we were two hot pregnant mamas!" said Melanie, looking at a much more serious picture of the two of them in the garden.

"Aw, yes, look at us! All barefoot and pregnant!" said Narcissa, turning the page. The next set of photos showed Draco as a little baby. He was a cute little boy with chubby cheeks. Ella smiled.

As they flipped through more of the album, they began to see some photos of Ella. The cute little girl had been a roly-poly baby. The book seemed to cover about two years of history. When they were into the last few pages, some pictures stood out more than others did. They were of two little blonde children playing together.

"Mother, who are these kids?" asked Ella, pointing to the picture. Narcissa answered the question for her.

"Why Ella, that's you and Draco when you both were about two. You guys would play together all the time in the fall months. That was before your family relocated so that Keith could be closer to his job," she said. Ella was surprised that she did not seem to remember any of her and Draco's history. Melanie turned to the final page and closed the album.

"Well, that was fun! I had almost forgotten about all the pictures you would take, Cissy," said Melanie, polishing off her beverage. She pushed the book aside. Ella gathered it back into her arms and held it to her chest. She began to walk back to upstairs to finish her unpacking.

When she reached her room, she replaced the book back into its place in the wardrobe. Ella walked over to the window and glanced outside. She could clearly see Draco out by the pool. _"He's probably sleeping by now," _Ella thought to herself with a laugh. She didn't have time to keep people watching, so she closed the shutters and began the never-ending task of unloading her infinite supply of clothing.


	7. Chapter 7

"Draco! Come _on_! That Quidditch store closes for the lunch hour, and we only have forty-five minutes until then!" said Ella, grabbing Draco by the hand and leading him down the cobblestone street. He was being far too sluggish today by Ella's standards.

It had already been a week since they had first arrived in Paris. The first seven days had been spent relaxing and planning what they would do every day. The next week would be spent choosing flowers, robes, a catering service, and a photographer. Ella and Draco had spent most of their free time out by the pool. Whatever doubts Ella had had when they first came here were long gone. There had hardly been a moment now when they were not together.

They appeared outside the shop after a ten-minute walk (or drag, in Draco's case). It seemed extra packed today. The crowd could have been attracted by the fact that there was a huge match tomorrow: Bulgaria versus France. Sadly, Draco and Ella hadn't been able to get tickets, even with Keith's job. It was totally sold out.

Ella and Draco fought their way through the crowded store. There was absolutely no space in here... what was the deal?

"Jeez, Ella. This is crap! I can't even see the shelves," Draco complained.

"I know... what's the big thing going on in here?"

"Oh my goodness, I hope I can get mine signed!" said a woman as she passed Draco and Ella, clutching a book in her hand. They flashed each other a confused look.

They continued to fight their way through the crowds. Ella was getting frustrated with this... someone had already stepped on her new flats, and she wasn't too happy about it. They got to the back of the store where there seemed to be a line that was forming. They walked to the front to see what the hype was about. When Ella saw what it was, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Viktor Krum smiled at the teenage girl who had just gotten her book signed. He was here today (against his will) signing copies of his new autobiography, _Viktor Krum: Beyond the Broomstick_. He took a deep sigh and prepared to sign another copy. All of the sudden, a girl caught his eye. He could not believe what he saw.

"Ella?" Viktor whispered, not sure if what he was seeing was real or fantasy. He furrowed his eyebrows and stood up from his chair to try to get a better look. Ella raised her hands to cover her mouth as a tear escaped the corner of her eye.

Viktor walked slowly over to where she stood. Ella shook with excitement until she could not hold it back anymore. She ran at him and jumped into his outstretched arms.

Draco stood back and watched the scene unfold, not sure of what to do. Ella's sudden actions had given him no time to prepare. Was she seriously hugging Viktor Krum as if they were old pals?

"Oh, Viktor," Ella sobbed. "I'm so sorry I haven't kept in touch. It's just been so hard..."

"It's ok, Ella. You have found me now, and that's all that matters," he said, stroking her hair. "Dry your tears, and tell me what's been going on."

"Viktor, since you left, Durmstrang has been so hard for me... it seems like the team is just going south without you around," she said, wiping a tear from her cheek. She managed a smile.

"That's better. Listen, I go on my lunch break in about fifteen minutes. Why don't we meet outside then?" he asked, running his hands up and down her trembling arms. Ella nodded and walked back over to a very confused and shocked Draco.

"Let's go," she said in a waterlogged voice. Draco followed her outside, not sure how to react. Ella sat on a bench that was across from the store. He sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Ella, what was that all about?" he asked, searching her face for an unspoken answer. She sniffed a little and prepared what she would say.

"Draco, Viktor was one of my best friends at Durmstrang. Even though he was two years older, he was there for me in some difficult times. He was like the brother that couldn't be there with me," she said with a smile.

"Do you want to talk to me about it?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"I... I can't tell you just now," she said. Draco respected this and gave her a big hug to let her now that he was always here for her. She smiled at him and excused herself from the bench. She needed to go into a bathroom and clean herself up. Draco sat patiently and awaited her return.

About ten minutes later, Krum emerged from the shop. He walked over to where Draco sat on the bench.

"Are you Ella's friend?" he asked.

"Well, Ella's _boyfriend_ actually," he said, getting up from the bench and extending his hand. He waited for Viktor to realize that they had met two years earlier.

"You look very familiar... have we met?" said Viktor as he shook Draco's hand. He had a firm grip.

"Yes we have, Mr. Krum. When you competed at Hogwarts in the Tri-Wizard tournament two years ago."

"Aw yes! That is where you seem familiar! Draco, isn't it?"

"That's my name."

Ella walked out of the shop and back to the little bench. She was surprised to see Draco and Viktor talking.

"Hey boys, sorry I didn't introduce you earlier," she said, embarrassed. Viktor and Draco looked at each other and smiled.

"It's all right, Ella. We've met before. Don't worry about it," said Draco as he wrapped his arm gently around her waist. Before Ella could ask about where on earth they had met before, Viktor spoke up about his idea on where to go for lunch.

"Well, I'm absolutely starved... I've been in there signing autographs since nine o'clock this morning, and they haven't bothered to feed me. How about we go to that little deli down the road? I'm craving a hoagie!" he said with a laugh. They all agreed to this idea and started down the sidewalk.

They arrived at Amoureux De Viande in about five minutes. Viktor had to be back at the store in half an hour, so they didn't have much time. They got right to the front of the line and sat at an umbrella-covered table outside.

"So Krum, are you ready for tomorrow?" Draco asked, taking a bite of his roast beef sandwich. Viktor thought about it for a moment while he chewed.

"Well, France is a pretty good team... but their Seeker is very slow. I'm not worried," he said. He took another large bite out of his ham and cheese. Ella smiled to herself. Her two most loved men were getting along!

They ate their lunch quickly. Occasionally, Ella and Viktor would talk a little to try to catch up. Viktor's career had taken off since he had left Durmstrang and was able to focus just on Quidditch. When Draco did the calculations on Viktor's age versus his school years, he got confused... Krum would have had to gotten out of school a year early.

"Hey Krum? Did you graduate early or something?" asked Draco. Ella and Viktor looked from one to another.

"Um, no Draco. At Durmstrang, we only go for six years of regular school, and then we go to a trade school for another year to be trained in our chosen career. It's a very good system," said Viktor, taking a long chug from his cup. He looked sideways at the very expensive watch that hugged his wrist. He set down his cup.

"I better get back to the shop before they file a missing persons report... listen, we need to hang out soon. I'm only in town for another five days," he said.

"Well, Draco and I were planning on going clubbing tonight. Why don't you go with us?" asked Ella. She then realized her hastiness and added, "If Draco doesn't mind." She cast a look over at him.

"I don't mind at all," said Draco. They stood up from the table and Draco and Viktor shook hands. Ella and he said a long goodbye, while speaking in a tongue that Draco did not understand, that included a tight hug.

They watched Viktor leave the deli, but people asking for autographs soon bombarded him. He declined politely and told them that if they wanted an autograph, they could go buy a copy of his new book and he would sign it for them at the Quidditch store. They darted off ahead of him, hoping to get a good place in line. Krum looked back at Draco and Ella, rolled his eyes, and walked on

That night, Ella spent every minute she could in the bathroom preparing for their evening. Viktor would be arriving at eight. For her night out, she had chosen to wear a tight fitting, knee length dress that had a low scoop neckline and it flared out at the bottom. They were going to one of the "higher end" clubs. She paired her dress with some black heals that laced up the leg and a chunky sliver necklace. Her long blonde hair was now shoulder length in spiral, kinky ringlets. With a final examination of her reflection, she deemed herself worthy and went off to find Draco.

She found him in the other bathroom doing his hair. He looked very handsome this evening. He had chosen to wear a black, button down shirt that was tucked into a pair of black trousers. He looked very polished.

"Wow, Draco. Very nice choice! I approve!" she said. Draco finished applying his hair gel and turned to look at her. His jaw fell. Why is it that she could just WOW him every time she turned around?

"Ella, you look gorgeous as always," he said. Ella walked up to him and wrapped him in a hug. She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips. When they broke apart, they heard the doorbell ring. Viktor must be here.

They heard Melanie let out a scream. Krum must have walked in. Draco and Ella grabbed each other's hand and left the bathroom to join their "partner in crime" for the evening.

"Oh, Viktor! It is _so_ wonderful to see you again! How is everything?" she asked.

"It has been wonderful. Quidditch has been so wonderful to me," he said. He spotted Ella and Draco walking down the staircase and he was grateful. He loved Melanie, but the woman could talk for hours if she wasn't stopped.

"Well, shall we get going?" asked Ella. The two boys agreed and they said their goodbyes to Melanie. They walked outside, where they found one of Viktor's fancy cars. This time, he was driving a blood red Viper. Draco was instantly envious.

"Um, aren't these cars only two-seaters?" asked Ella. Viktor laughed.

"Ella, Ella, Ella... you know me better than that. When I ordered this car from a muggle company, it only had two seats. Well, that was just unacceptable. The team paid to have two more seats put in... it now seats four," he said, full of pride for his purchase. He clicked the unlock button and they all climbed inside.

Krum had told the truth. This car was _much _roomier than a normal Viper. You wouldn't know it by looking at the outside, however. It was obviously enchanted.

They drove through the streets of Paris with some kind of Bulgarian rock music playing. Ella and Krum sang along to every word. Draco on the other hand, had no idea what they were saying. He was relieved when they pulled up to the front of the club.

Viktor gave the valet the keys to the car and warned him not to scratch the paint job. He gave his name at the front door and the man checked the list until he found his name on the guest list. Ella linked arms with Draco and Krum as they walked into the building. The light was down low and the music was slightly softer than at a normal club. The attire of the people was very close to black tie. This was not your average Paris night scene.

Viktor went over to his reserved table that was set in the corner of the large ballroom. He pulled a chair out for Ella, and she politely took it. Draco sat in the chair beside her. A waiter came by the tables and gave them menus to order from. While they waited, they placed their orders for drinks.

"Wow, Viktor. This place is amazing!" said Ella, looking around the ballroom.

"Yes, it is. I love coming here whenever I'm in Paris," he said. The waiter came back again and asked if they were ready to order. They all agreed. Viktor placed his order first.

"Umm... I'll have a Caesar salad," he said. Draco was surprised to hear this... he was expecting something big and meaty. Ella ordered next.

"I'll have a sirloin steak, medium rare. No mushrooms please." Draco ordered last.

"I would like the prime rib," he said politely. They waiter pulled out his wand and conjured up all of their orders. The food all looked fabulous.

"Wow Krum, going light tonight?" asked Draco.

"I need to watch what I eat. Big match tomorrow," he said, taking a bite out of his salad. Draco felt like he had just asked a very stupid question.

"Viktor? How late can you stay out? Isn't the curfew still eleven?" asked Ella. Viktor wiped the corner of his mouth with his napkin and replaced it in his lap.

"Yes, it still is. Sorry I cannot stay out longer. I need my rest if I am going to perform at the top of my game tomorrow," he said. This was good news to Draco. He hadn't wanted to stay out late tonight anyway.

"Are your parents going to the match tomorrow?" asked Ella.

"No, they couldn't make it. Oh! That reminds me! Since they aren't coming, my hospitality suite is available. Would you two like to go in their place?" he asked, looking from one face to the other. Draco's eyes lit up.

"We would LOVE to! We tried to get tickets, but they're impossible to get at this time of the year!" he said. He sounded like a kid in a candy store.

"Draco, we would have to ask our parents first," contradicted Ella. Draco shoved this comment aside.

"Alright then. I'll have them put your names on the Will-Call list before I check in tomorrow," he said.

They ate the rest of their meal in near silence. The portions here were small, so it didn't take them long. When they were nearly complete, an announcement came on.

"Ok everyone! We will be playing a few classical songs, so if you would like to show off your skills on the dance floor, feel free! But ballroom dancing ONLY!" The message ended and a slow, classical song started up. Draco had never been anywhere quite like this before. Classical music hours at a night club?

"Oh, I love the waltz! Draco, will you dance with me?" asked Ella, pouting her lip. He had used this same technique on her during their first dance. Draco just rolled his eyes. He was nowhere near immune to Ella's charm.

"Well, alright," he said as he stood up from his chair. No couples had entered the dance floor yet.

"You _do_ know how to waltz... right?" asked Ella with a bit of uncertainty in her voice. Draco threw his hand to his chest as if he had been deeply offended.

"Ella Stone! Bite your tongue! I come from one of the oldest pureblood lines in existence, and you are claiming that I can't dance? Well, you're just going to have to see for yourself!" said Draco, offering her his arm. Ella took it and she was led onto the dance floor. Draco bowed to her and they began the sweeping movements of the waltz.

Ella was twirled around the dance floor by Draco's expert leading skills. She was pleasantly surprised. Her mother had lied... Malfoy men _can_ dance!

Viktor watched from the sidelines as more couples joined Ella and Draco. The only time he ever saw Ella this happy was when she was on a broomstick. Aw, sweet Ella. The poor girl had been through a lot in her life. Viktor still shuddered when he thought about what she had been put through.

The song ended and Draco dipped her until she was almost touching the floor. She smiled, laughed, and kissed him on each cheek. They walked back over to their table where Viktor sat waiting for them. Another faster-paced song started up. It had a very masculine tune to it.

"Oh my goodness! Viktor, do you remember this song from the "Welcome Back Ball" after the Tri-Wizard tournament? Come on, we _have_ to dance to this!" she said, grabbing Viktor by the bicep and dragging him to his feet. Viktor did as he was "ordered" and followed her onto the floor.

They took their positions facing each other. It was expected that each student be able to perform the traditional Durmstrang dance. No one knew what it was called, but it was a very stiff, tango-like dance. In addition, it called for the girl to be picked up by her waist an awful lot.

"Bloody hell Viktor! Don't you remember how to do it?" Ella teased as Viktor stepped on her toes for the second time. He blushed. He used to be a phenomenal dancer. He often escorted her to the dances when he was at Durmstrang and every girl envied her because of it.

Draco sat watching Ella and Krum perform the unusually intriguing dance from their school. Draco had never seen anything quite like it. Just as he was thinking about how wonderful Ella looked while she was dancing, a curly-haired boy came up to him.

"Why, hello handsome. Come here often?" said the boy in a very high-pitched voice. Draco did a double take.

"Excuse me?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Are you here with anyone special? A cutie like you shouldn't ever be alone," he said, batting his eyelashes. Draco became angered by this boy and had a desire to punch him for even _considering_ that he might be gay.

"Get away from me, you queer!" yelled Draco as he got up from his chair and quickly left the table. Ella and Viktor spotted him leaving and left the dance floor to follow him, confused.

"Draco, what is the problem?" asked Viktor.

"KRUM! I just got hit on by a gay man!" he yelled into his face. Viktor tried to hide his smile, but it was too much for him to handle. He cracked a smile that was followed by a fit of laughter. Ella, who was also fighting back the laughter, touched Draco's arm to try to calm him down.

"Well honey, it just goes to show you that you have sex appeal to everyone," she said. Ella couldn't hold it back anymore and started laughing just as hard as Krum. Draco was fuming by the time they left the club at ten thirty.

When Viktor dropped them off back at _Sang Pur_, he couldn't resist having one more bit of fun with Draco.

"Nighty night, Pretty Boy. You're so yummy, Pretty Boy, I could just eat you _up_!" he said. Draco couldn't even help but laugh at Viktor's terrible attempt to imitate a gay voice. He had such a masculine Bulgarian accent that it didn't sound anything like what he was trying to impersonate.

"Ha ha, very funny Krum," he said as he closed the door to the Viper. Viktor yelled out a final reminder through the window before he left.

"Don't forget about tomorrow! Be at Will-Call an hour before the match and they will give you your all-access passes and show you to your seats," he said. Ella and Draco stated that they understood and they parted for the evening. They watched the Viper drive off until it disappeared out of the entry gate.


	8. Chapter 8

It was a few hours before the Quidditch match and Draco was digging through his closet to find his Bulgaria t-shirt. He dug through everything, but couldn't find it anywhere. Frustrated, he tugged at his hair, walked down the hall to Ella's room, and knocked.

"Ella! Do you have any Bulgaria Quidditch garb I could wear?" he asked through the wooden door. Ella opened it for him and Draco walked into her room, which was covered with clothes.

"You don't have to shout, you know. Oh, and yes, I do have some stuff you can borrow. They send me something new every week," said Ella with an eye roll. She walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a large cardboard box. She set it on the ground in front of Draco. "Help yourself to whatever you want."

Draco was like a kid in a candy store as he rummaged through the box of goods. There were jackets, cloaks, t-shirts, scarves, hats, flags, candies, even underwear! Ella looked good today. Her hair was up in a cute little ponytail with red and black curly ribbons tied to it. She was wearing blue jeans, tennis shoes, and an old, tattered Quidditch jersey. It didn't look at all new, so Draco asked where she had gotten it.

"Where on earth did you get that nasty thing?" he asked. Ella looked around, not sure what he was talking about. When she noticed what he was staring at, she looked almost insulted.

"Draco, this was Viktor's practice jersey from the first year he ever played for Bulgaria. He gave it to me when I was...well, when I really needed him there for me," she said. Draco felt like he had just slapped her in the face.

"Oh... sorry Ella. I didn't know."

"It's ok. I didn't expect you to know," she said. Ella reached into the box at Draco's feet and pulled out a little tattoo of a Snitch and the name "Krum" underneath it. She applied it to her cheek and examined herself in the floor length mirror that was besides her wardrobe. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she turned back to Draco who was holding up a scarlet t-shirt and examining it.

"I think I'll go with this one," said Draco. He took off his current shirt and put on his new Bulgaria Quidditch tee. To top everything off, he put a red scarf around his neck. They still had about three hours until they needed to be at Will-Call.

"Ok Draco, it's one and the game starts at four. We need to be at the stadium by three o'clock. I figure if we get there early enough, I could get us onto the playing field to meet the players if you wanted to," asked Ella. Draco's eyes lit up. He wrapped her into a rib-shattering hug.

"Ella, you keep amazing me every day! How could you possibly get us on the field though?" he asked her. Ella smiled.

"Viktor makes sure that I'm well cared for when I go to these things. Plus, the coach wants me on the team really badly, so I could get just about anything I wanted out of him," she said.

"Oh," said Draco in return. Clearly, Ella had connections.

"Yep! Well, we had better start on our way. I think you're going to like how we get there," she said with a smile. Draco gave her a confused look. What was up with her and surprises?

They walked downstairs where they found Melanie and Narcissa sitting in the breakfast nook. The rest of the household had gone out for the day; except for Derek, who was still sleeping. They seemed to be discussing the wedding, seeing as that was all anyone ever talked about these days.

"Goodness, I can't believe that she wants to pay to have two hundred roses turned silver! We all know the incantation for changing an objects color! It wouldn't take us long to do it ourselves," said Melanie. Narcissa nodded her head in agreement, and then Melanie saw Ella and Draco approaching them. "Oh, hello love."

"Hello Mother. Did our mode of transportation arrive yet?" she asked with a wink. Melanie instantly understood and gestured to the garden.

"Are you guys about ready to take off?" asked Narcissa.

"Yep. It should be a good match today. I cannot believe that France's Keeper is injured, though. That will have a huge impact on the match," said Draco matter-of-factly.

"Well, you two have a good time. And Ella, give my best wishes to Viktor if you see him before the match," said Melanie as she grabbed a pastry from the plate in front of her. Draco and Ella said their goodbyes and walked back into the large garden.

When they rounded the lattice on the corner, Draco saw what Ella had been talking about. Waiting patiently for them were two brand new Firebolt 2000's. Ella smiled.

"Viktor owled me last night and told me that he would be sending some over," she explained. There was an awkward silence as Draco stood rooted on the spot. Ella broke the silence. "Well?"

"I... I don't know what to say! This is AWESOME!" he said as he ran over to his broom. Ella wouldn't let him fly on her broom, so he was very excited for this new experience. "Let's get going!" he said. He sounded like an antsy little schoolboy. Ella laughed and mounted her broom.

"We have to be careful. I know a route that doesn't go over any muggle territory, but we should try to stay over cloud cover just in case," she said. Draco swung his leg over his broom and savored the moment. Oh, if he only had one of these for next year... "Draco? Did you hear me?"

"What? Oh, yeah, stay out of sight. Gotcha," he said. Ella rolled her eyes. Today would definitely be an experience.

They kicked off the ground and began the slow flight over the French countryside. Ella rode with ease, but Draco was doing flips, dives, and spins at every available opportunity. Ella was worried about keeping them concealed, so she flew in front of his path, which caused him to come to a screeching halt.

"Ella! What was that for?" asked a very annoyed Draco. Ella, who was just as annoyed, tried to stay calm.

"Draco, do you remember what I said to you before we left?" Draco nodded to show he understood. "Ok, then you need to listen to me. When we get to the stadium, you can fly around as much as you want. Until then, I want you to fly by my side and not do anything stupid. You got that?" she asked. She sounded as if she were scolding a kindergartener. Draco hung his head and said that he would be a good boy. They continued their slow flight to the stadium.

Ella estimated that it would take them about thirty minutes to get there. She had flown there before about two years ago, but this time she was on a much better broom. Draco was finally listening to her and was staying by her side. She could sense, however, that he would love to do a Wronski Feint right about now.

After a good twenty-five minutes of flying, Ella saw the large French stadium, _Fabricant Rêveur_, in the distance. She pointed it out to Draco, who nodded his head to show that he understood. They turned their brooms in that direction and flew on towards the stadium.

They landed softly in a clearing that was a few hundred feet from the stadium. This was the first time Draco had ever been to this facility, and he was amazed by the size of it! It made Hogwarts look like a practice field. Ella saw that his mouth was hanging open and he must be thinking what she first thought when she came here.

When she was in her fourth year at Durmstrang, she came here to watch one of Viktor's matches. Because of her connections, she had been given the grand tour of the entire stadium. This place was as top-of-the-line as you could get. The French team had a huge stadium, a weight room, a practice field, and an indoor field. There was also a pressroom where interviews were conducted. France wasn't nearly as good as Bulgaria, but they _were_ an up-and-coming program with a lot of money. They were also one of the teams that were heavily recruiting her.

"Impressive, huh?" Ella asked Draco, who was still looking at the stadium. Draco was tongue-tied and couldn't seem to speak. He just moved his head up and down. Ella laughed and grabbed his hand. She began to drag him in the direction of the stadium.

They battled their way through the large crowd of people. Occasionally, Ella would run into people that she new and would begin speaking very fast in either French or Bulgarian. Draco did not understand how someone could know how to speak three languages. When this would happen, he would just stand by Ella's side and smile. He looked down at his watch and realized that they only had two hours until the game started.

"Ella, we don't have much time. If you want to get on the field to see Krum before the match, we better get going moving," he said to her. She was currently talking to a girl that she had known at Beauxbatons. She bid her farewell and they went over to Will-Call tent that was set up by the vendors. Ella strutted her way up to the person who worked there. He was a chubby little man with a mustache and a bald head. He looked up from his clipboard when he saw them approach.

"Bon jour, comment ose j'aidez-vous?" he asked in very fast French. Draco spoke some French, but he was nowhere near fluent. Ella took care of all the talking and filling out the forms, and they were given their passes about five minutes later. They said their goodbyes and were on their way to the indoor field entrance.

Ella led Draco through the large crowd. It was noisy as people yelled comments to fans of the opposing team. Ella tried to hold back her anger when someone made a comment about Viktor's IQ. He was actually a very intelligent person. However, what did they know?

They reached the entrance to the indoor field after a ten-minute walk through the crowd and a near fight with a French supporter. They flashed their all-access passes to the guard at the door, which let them through. They walked in to find a miniaturized Quidditch pitch.

Draco saw the French and Bulgarian team, who were doing stretching exercises. Ella noticed Viktor, who waved at them from where he was. He stood up and walked over to the water fountain. Just then, a tall, black haired man walked over to where Ella and Draco stood observing.

"Ella Stone? Is that you?" he asked. Ella turned to see him and instantly recognized him. He was the Bulgaria head coach.

"Liam! It is _so_ good to see you again!" said Ella as she shook his hand. Draco stood back and let them catch up.

"Well Ella, have you decided your chosen path?" Liam asked with raised eyebrows. Ella giggled uncomfortably.

"Liam, you know as well as I do that I can't say anything yet. I don't want to do a verbal contract right now," she said. "Do you have any new recruits?"

"There are a few from that American school that I'm looking at. They have a pair of Beaters that I am interested in. France has a few recruits here today, though. Some Seeker from Hogwarts..." he said, but cast it off as if it were nothing. Draco on the other hand was keen to hear who was being recruited.

"Well, my friend Draco here is a Seeker at Hogwarts. He's quite talented," she said to the coach. Liam turned his gaze on Draco. He looked him up and down as if he were a racehorse he was ready to bet on.

"Oh really? What house?" he said, walking around Draco.

"Slytherin, sir."

"Aw yes, I've heard of you. Lucius' son, if I am not mistaken. The Quidditch world tosses your name around quite a bit, and if Ella says you're good, it must be true! That other boy is here from one of your houses. Griffingdoor... Griffisdoor..."

"Gryffindoor?" said Draco in a shocked voice.

"That's the one!" said Liam. "That's him over there. I'm not sure who that redheaded kid is that's with him."

Draco looked where Liam was gesturing. Sure enough, there was Potter and Weasley. Instantly, a vicious scowl lit up his features. Ella looked at him, a confused look on her face.

"Ella, why don't you go over and put in a good word for Bulgaria with him? He is rather good. Although, we won't need a new Seeker for a while if Krum stays in good shape."

"Alright!" agreed Ella. She had no idea what she had just gotten herself into. She grabbed a very reluctant Draco by the hand and dragged him over to where Harry Potter and Ron Weasley watched the French team do their stretches.

"Malfoy?" said Ron, venom dripping from his voice.

"Weasley, Potter," said Draco, expressing his anger as coolly and calmly as he could manage. Ella was blissfully unaware of the sheer dislike between the three boys.

"Hi! I'm Ella Stone," she said, holding her hand out to Harry, who shook it politely. Ron did the same. "Are you two here with the French team?"

"He is, I'm not," said Ron, gesturing to Harry.

"Oh, well I don't know why you're over here. Bulgaria is a _much _better team. If I were you, I'd be looking to join them," she said. They heard Liam excuse the team from their stretches and Viktor began to walk over to them. "Sweetie, I need to talk to Viktor for a moment. Would you mind telling these two how wonderful Bulgaria is?" she said, batting her eyelashes. Draco smiled at her.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said. Ella got on her toes and kissed him. With a final squeeze of his hand, she was off to talk to Krum. The three boys stared daggers at each other.

"Wow Draco, where'd you find _that_? Did she feel sorry for you?" said Harry. He glared at Draco from behind his glasses.

"Actually, she tells me she likes me for my personality. Nevertheless, look, don't touch, Potter. She's not your type anyway. She's a pureblood. Not some mudblood like that girlfriend of yours," he said. Harry gritted his teeth and gripped his wand inside his robes. Ron looked like he might jump him. Draco just stood there casually.

"Not another word about Hermione, Malfoy. At least my girlfriend's got some brains," he said in Hermione's defense.

"Ella doesn't need book smarts. She's one of the top Chasers in the school division. Both of these teams and many more are heavily recruiting her," he said. Ron and Harry both shut up. Ella walked back over with Viktor in tow. She was still unaware of the glares between the two groups.

"Draco, we need to go up to the suite. The teams need to go into the locker rooms to get ready," she said. Draco threw one final glare at Potter and Weasley before heading off with Krum and Ella.

"Good luck, Viktor! I'll be watching, so don't you screw up!" said Ella, giving him a big hug around the neck.

"I won't, because I know you would scold me heavily after the game," he said with a laugh. He turned to Draco.

"Go get 'em, Krum," Draco said, shaking his hand.

"Viktor!" yelled Levski, one of the Chasers. Viktor blew and final kiss to Ella before heading into the locker rooms. A guard, who would escort them up to the suite, met Ella and Draco. Ella flashed Draco a smile and took his hand in hers as they followed the man up the stairs.

"Oh Draco, this is so exciting! Bulgaria has been playing great lately! And with France using Bestow as their Keeper, it's a guaranteed victory!" she said. Draco agreed with her. Bestow had been an afterthought draft pick from last season. He wasn't nearly as good as their usual Keeper.

They reached their hospitality suite, and the guard left them alone. It was twice as nice as England's hospitality rooms. The walls were painted in a sky-blue color to match France's robes. Couches and chairs were set up facing the large window where the match could be viewed. One of the walls was covered in a screen where you could watch the match from up close. There was also a telephone, which you could use to call room service.

Ella collapsed on the couch and faced the window, waiting for the game to start. Draco soon followed her, but stretched out the full length of the couch, putting his head on Ella's lap. She looked down on him and smiled.

"Draco, the game starts in ten minutes. The second it starts, I am going to be jumping up and down at random intervals and screaming my lungs out. If you want to lay your head on my lap, fine. But I am not taking any responsibility for damages that come to that pretty little face of yours," she said. Draco sat up and rested his feet on the window ledge.

"Point taken."

While they waited for the game to start, they called room service and ordered up some butterbeers, pumpkin pasties, and cauldron cakes. When they had eaten through about half of their cauldron cake stash, the announcer came on.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to _Fabricant Rêveur_! We have a fantastic match for you today! So without further ado, let me introduce you to... France!" he said to the cheers and applauding of the French supporters. The seven French players flew around the stadium performing aerial stunts to please the crowd. After their little show, they settled down in the center of the pitch. The announcer came on again.

"Now, please welcome the defending World Cup finalists... Bulgaria!" he said to the crowd, who went crazy. Ella was on her feet screaming as they flew around the stadium. They did their little show and faced the French in the center of the pitch.

"Hey Ella, I thought that since we're in France, the announcer would speak French," said a confused Draco. Ella rolled her eyes. Did she have to explain everything to this boy?

"He _is_ speaking French, Draco. However, this room is enchanted to translate his words into English for us. It can translate his words into any language," she explained. Draco nodded to show that he understood, and turned his attention back to the pitch.

"The ref is now on the field. The two Bludgers are released, followed closely by the Golden Snitch. The whistle is blown, the Quaffle is released, and the match has begun!"

"It's a close game, folks. France leads 130-110. Levski has the Quaffle; he is going in for the score! But look! Viktor Krum appears to have seen the Snitch! He is flying down to the south end of pitch, followed closely by Rousseau. He's diving! Rousseau is right there with him! Viktor Krum is reaching for it! Oh no! They have crashed into the ground! This is not looking good, folks. Wait, wait! He's standing up! VIKTOR KRUM HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH!"

Ella stood on her feet, jumping up and down and screaming at the top of her lungs. Viktor was hoisted into the air by his teammates as he waved the Snitch in his hand. Ella grabbed Draco by the arm and dragged him out of the box, down the steps and towards the entrance of the field.

"Draco, come on! We have to get down there!" she panted. Draco did his best to keep up as they weaved in and out of the crowds. They finally reached the gate, which was guarded heavily by big, muscular men. They flashed their all-access passes and were let threw the gate.

Ella ran at Viktor, arms outstretched. They met in a sweet embrace. Viktor twirled Ella around in a circle. She was crying from the happiness she felt for him. Every victory was a great new experience. When they had finally calmed down, Draco went over to give his congratulations.

"Great game, Krum. Absolutely fabulous job!" he said, shaking his hand.

"Thank you, Draco. Hopefully I will one day be playing you," he said as he let go of his hand. Draco blushed at the compliment. Viktor turned back to Ella.

"I have to go to a press conference, but I have something I need to ask you and Draco. I will owl you tomorrow. Ok?"

"Alright. I'll be looking forward to it," she said. Krum kissed her on the hand and waved goodbye to Draco before heading off the field and into the pressroom.

"Well Draco, we better get a move on. Our mothers are picking us up out front and they should be here by now," said Ella, grabbing Draco by the hand. She led him out the back way where, sure enough, there was Melanie, Narcissa, and Dominique waiting for them in the car. They climbed inside and started the long drive home.

Draco's head was swimming with ideas about what Viktor wanted to ask them. He was a nice person, but he was little too friendly with Ella for Draco's liking. He tried to be an understanding boyfriend and accept the fact that they were old pals from school, but that was getting harder and harder to do.


	9. Chapter 9

_Dearest Ella,_

_Tomorrow, on the twelfth of August, you, Draco and your families are invited to a Quidditch banquet that is being held in honor of our victory. It will be a black tie event, so please dress accordingly. It is being held at _La Salle Grande _at approximately eight o'clock in the evening. You may leave whenever you like. Please write to me with your answer as soon as possible so that I can reserve a table for your families. It has been great seeing you again, Ella. I missed you terribly._

_Your dear friend,_

_Viktor_

_Dear Viktor,_

_We would all love to attend the banquet! You can expect us there at promptly eight o'clock. We will need seating for ten people. I am so happy that I have gotten the chance to see you. Promise me that we will never go that long without seeing each other ever again. Viktor, you do not know how much I need you in my life. When I needed you most, you were there for me in every way you could. I cannot thank you enough for all you have done. I will see you tomorrow evening._

_All my love,_

_Ella_

The house was full of confusion as everyone prepared to leave for the banquet. Melanie couldn't find her black high heels, Derek was having problems with his suit jacket, and Draco couldn't find his hair gel. They solved their problems in the easiest ways possible: Ella loaned Melanie a pair of heels, John did a spell to lengthen Derek's sleeves, and Lucius let Draco borrow his hair gel. Finally, everyone was ready to go.

"Ok, this is what we're going to do! Melanie, Cissy, Dominique, and Ella are going in the Range Rover. John, Derek, Draco, Keith, Scott, and I will go in the Hummer. I hope you all remember how to "drive" I think is what they call it. Is everything clear?" said Lucius. Tonight, he was wearing what he wore on a daily basis: long black robe with everything black underneath it. To accessorize, he had his usual snake cane.

"I think we're ready to go!" said Ella. This evening, she was wearing her hair up in a tight knot. She wore her blood-red Durmstrang robes, which were basically a wrap style dress. They had fur around the collar and the Durmstrang crest on the back. The wrap-style accentuated her already tiny waist.

"Everybody out to the cars! We have less than twenty minutes to get there!" yelled Melanie as she hurried everyone out the door. Nobody objected, seeing that she was already flustered.

They all climbed into the cars. Melanie drove for the girls and Lucius for the boys. They pulled down the driveway and out into the country streets. The drive there was slow and boring. Ella was bursting with excitement. Tonight, she would see people she had not seen in years. The other day, she hadn't had time to say hello to any of the Bulgaria team members that she knew. Tonight would be a night to get in touch with the life she had left behind for the summer.

In the other car, Draco worried about tonight. Ella would be busy talking with all of the friends and people she knew, leaving him alone. He knew it was selfish of him to think this, but it was what he was feeling and he couldn't deny it. He was doing his best to think about how happy she would be, but knowing that she would be happy without him was unsettling. In the short two months she had been in his life, he had become accustom to waking up every morning and walking downstairs to see her face. Summer was drawing to a close, and he wanted to make the most of the time they still had together before they both went back to their separate lives. Ella would go back to being the all-mighty Quidditch star, and he would go back to being... well, Malfoy.

They pulled into the driveway of _La Salle Grande _with five minutes until eight o'clock. The group dropped their car keys off with the valet, gave their name at the door, and made their entrance just as the clock struck eight. Ella took Draco's arm as they strutted into the ballroom.

Very quickly, people who knew them met the group. Ella was talked to by her teachers, friends, and Quidditch people. Draco was once again feeling out of the circle. She was smiling and being the bell of the ball while he sat sulking at her side. After a good thirty minutes of talking amongst the crowd, word had spread about Ella's arrival. Viktor was walking over to their little group.

Krum bowed to Ella, who just giggled as he took her hand and kissed it lightly with his lips. Draco put his arm protectively around her shoulders. Viktor stood up from where he was and looked Draco in the eye. Draco did something he had never done to someone who he thought of as an equal: he gave him his famous glare. Viktor stood back from her.

"Well, I am happy that you could come and celebrate our victory," he said.

"Oh it was no problem, Viktor. We were all thrilled to come! It is so great to see everyone again," she said. Viktor was soon intercepted by some person from the Bulgarian Ministry and promised they would see each other soon. Ella grabbed Draco's hand and led him around the room. Then, she ran into an old friend from Beauxbatons.

"Raine!" yelled Ella at the black haired girl, who turned around to see who had called her name. When she saw who it was, she ran at her and did the French greeting: one kiss on each cheek. Raine was a petite, pale faced, black haired girl. She kept eyeing Draco with a strange look in her eye. She leaned over to Ella and whispered something in French. Ella looked back at Draco. "Oh!" she said, blushing. They giggled.

"Raine, sorry I didn't introduce you. You know how bad I am with things like that... Anyway, this is my lovely boyfriend Draco. Draco, this is my great friend, Raine. Oh, and Raine, look don't touch please," she added when she saw Raine make a move to kiss Draco's cheeks. He silently thanked Ella. Raine reminded him too much of Pansy.

"Wow, Ella. Zey certainly don't make zem like zat at Beauxbatons," she said in a heavy French accent. Raine was called away by a girl who also had a French accent. Ella turned to Draco and rolled her eyes.

"Honestly! I love Raine to pieces, but she just can't keep her hands off of any guy... sheesh!" said Ella in a flustered tone. Draco chuckled as he followed behind her high-heeled feet. Sweet, sweet Ella...

A Bulgarian man made an announcement saying that the buffet was now open. He didn't have to say this twice, because Draco grabbed Ella by the hand and pulled her in the direction of the long table that was packed high with food. They joined the line and patiently waited their turn.

"Yum! They're serving banitza! My favorite!" said Ella as she picked up the cheesy pastry. She grabbed some creamed zucchini soup, cheese filled peppers, and some shopska salad. Draco didn't pick much of it up himself. The eastern European food didn't look (or smell) very appetizing to him. He preferred British cuisine.

"Draco, all you've taken is some kavarma kebap! Fill your plate! This is a time to celebrate!" Ella said as she tried to tempt him with some cheese-filled peppers. Draco politely declined. "Whatever you say," she said and shoveled them onto her plate. They reached the end of the table, which had the desserts. Draco grabbed a few French pastries. Ella said that she would come back for those a little later.

They found their table. No one else had made it there yet, so it was only them. They took their seats and Ella began to dig into her food. Draco poked at his. He was used to lighter dishes. This was some heavy food. Ella took a large bite out of one of her cheese peppers.

"Yum! It's just like being back at school!" she said. When she noticed that one of the groups of people near their table was staring at her, she cleaned up her act. She straightened up, put her napkin in her lap, and began using her silverware. She looked up to the head table where she saw Viktor and the rest of Bulgarian team enjoying their meal. He caught her eye and she smiled sweetly at him.

"Ella, I'm going to go get some champagne. Can I interest you in anything?" asked Draco as he stood up from his chair. Ella pondered for a moment and then looked up from her plate.

"I'm not going to drink tonight, so can you please get me some sparkling water?" she asked. Draco nodded and left for the bar that was set up at the other end of the ballroom. Ella sat eating her food in peace when she heard some male voices laughing behind her.

"Well, well. Look who it is! Ella Stone," said one of the boys in a singsong voice. Ella froze in mid chew. No, it couldn't be...

Ella turned slowly in her seat. She was feeling sick just thinking about who it might be. _Oh, Merlin, don't let it be him_...

Her worse fear was confirmed. She put on a brave face. Showing her fear would only encourage them.

"God, Demetrius, go back to Greece," she said. Her voice was so full of hatred.

"Why should I, when I could be here with my brother celebrating his teams' victory?" he said. His cronies agreed with him.

"Oh, please. Your brother was an afterthought draft pick from two years ago who hasn't even been in yet," she said, standing up to her full height. Demetrius was still a good four inches taller than she was. They had dated briefly when Ella was thirteen. He was a Greek boy who was from Athens. Why he was going to Durmstrang was confusing to Ella. Athens had one of the greatest magic schools in the world. He glanced around Ella at the table.

"Hey boys, is it cold in here?" he asked with a stupid look on his face. His group nodded their heads from side to side.

"Really? Because I think Hell just froze over! Little Ella is eating!" he said with a look of sheer pleasure at her discomfort. She took a deep breath.

"You know I got over that two years ago," she said. A song started up.

"Hey Ella, how about for old times sake, you let me grace you with the honor of dancing with me?" he said, making a move to grab her arm. Ella dodged his hand as if she was scared of his touch.

"Get away from me you slime ball!" she said, trying to get around him. Before she had the chance, his group gathered around her, blocking any escape she had. She stood tall and waited for what might come next. Where was Draco when she needed him?

Viktor watched the scene that was happening below the head table. He looked for Ella and saw her surrounded by a large group of boys. He furrowed his eyebrows and tried to see who it was. When he realized what he was seeing, he stood up from his seat and quickly made his way through the crowd, pushing everyone out of his way. All he cared about was squeezing the life out of that stuck-up little Greek boy.

"Oh come on, Ella! You know you want to," Demetrius said, grabbing her wrist.

"I'd rather eat my steak knife," she said in retort. He pretended to act hurt.

"Ella Stone! I am _shocked_! Why, just two years ago you were throwing yourself at me. Well boys, why don't we just- what?" he asked in mid sentence to his friends, who were gesturing behind him. He didn't quite understand. "What the hell are you guys pointing at?" he spat, turning around. He screamed like a little schoolgirl.

"I believe that Ella said she did not want to dance with you," Viktor said. The look of horror on Demetrius' face was priceless.

"Um... well... I..."

"Exactly. So finish your business and be on your way," he said. Viktor got closer into Demetrius' face and dropped his voice to a whisper. The way he talked was almost a growl.

"If I _ever_ see you talking to her again, I will strangle you with my own bare hands. You have caused enough problems. Now get out of my sight, and take your worthless lackeys with you," he said, shoving Demetrius away from Ella.

"Uh, yes Viktor! I mean, Mr. Krum! I mean... bye!" said Demetrius, running in the opposite direction, his group following close behind. Viktor took the scowl off his face and turned it into a smile. Ella laughed as she hugged him around the neck.

"I can always count on you to be there for me at just the right moment!" she said, breaking away from him. Viktor was a big teddy bear, but most people found him threatening. He smiled down at her, but his expression turned to concern.

"Where was Draco when all of this was happening?"

"He was getting us some drinks. I don't know where he went." said Ella. She began scanning the room for his blond head. Before she could excuse herself from Viktor to look for him, a man at the front table rose, banging his glass. He was preparing to give a toast.

"Excuse me! Excuse me! Ladies and gentlemen! I would like to propose a toast! My name is Ivan Ockham, and I am the offensive coach for Bulgaria. On Saturday, the team all played excellent. I could not have asked for anything better. I must say, however, that one player seemed to stand out more than the others did. Our Seeker, Viktor Krum, played one of the greatest games I have ever seen him play. He played the game hard, fast, and furious. Let us raise our glasses to Viktor, and drink to his long and healthy career!" he said, tipping his glass towards Krum. Everyone rang out "Viktor" before clinking glasses and drinking in his honor. Ivan made one final announcement.

"Tonight, let us recognize the boys of Bulgaria for their accomplishment. Can I get all of the team out on the dance floor? Mr. Krum! Why don't you start things up?" he asked. The spotlight panned its way over to Viktor, who blushed a shade of pink. The crowd cheered its encouragement. He turned to Ella and bowed to her, offering her his hand. She took it as he led her out onto the dance floor.

Draco watched the scene unfold from the punch bowl. The task of getting drinks had taken longer than anticipated because Lucius had had to get Draco's champagne for him. He watched Viktor lead Ella out onto the dance floor as the crowd applauded. He immediately felt a jealous flush rise to his cheeks.

Draco walked over to a near by table and sat down where he had a clear view of the dance floor. Just as he was beginning to calm down, the last person on earth that he wanted to see at this very moment sat down next to him.

"Why, hello my boy! Lovely night isn't it? The French sure do know how to throw a party!" said Scott as he took another sip from his firewhiskey. Draco clenched his jaw, not wanting to say anything he might regret. Instead, he forced a smile.

"Yes, it is a _marvelous_ party," said Draco in a faux-happy voice, mimicking that of Scott's. The two boys both flashed fake smiles at each other.

"Look at those two!" Scott said, looking at Viktor and Ella. "It's just like old times!" Draco cast him a confused look.

"What are you talking about?" Scott chuckled at Draco's obliviousness.

"Oh, you don't know? Ella and Viktor were great... "friends" in his schooling days. He was always with her. It's as if they were joined at the hip!" he finished. Draco clenched his jaw until it felt as if his teeth were going to break. Through it all, he just stared at Scott, contemplating which hex would work best in this situation.

"I remember this one time a few years ago, Ella was back for Spring Break. Viktor came with her because she had wanted the family to meet him. He was _so_ good to our family! During the day, he would split his time between being with Ella and talking with our father about Quidditch. Then at night, he would help my mother in the kitchen. Aw, Viktor... good man!" he finished, casting another long glance at the happy couple. When he turned back, he saw that Draco was on his feet, red-faced. He took off in the direction of the dance floor. Scott yelled at his back, a smile from ear to ear. Just what he had wanted.

"Draco, where are you going?" he yelled. Draco gave him no answer. He just pushed through the crowds trying to get out of the ballroom. He had fallen for that two-timing, blue-eyed devil...

Ella was in the process of being twirled by Viktor when she caught a glimpse of a blonde-haired boy, dressed in all black, who was moving very quickly toward the exit. She knew who it was, but she didn't know why he was leaving. Ella excused herself from Viktor's marvelous dancing and took off after him. Draco was heading out to the patio.

Ella tripped on one of the rugs as she rushed after a very flustered Draco, causing her to bash into, none other than, Demetrius. Ella pushed him out of her way and began to run as fast as her three-inch heels would let her. When Draco was upset, it made her upset, even if she didn't know what was wrong.

Finally, she tracked down the exit that Draco had taken. She pushed through the doors and looked from left to right, trying to find him. A couple moved from their position and she saw him leaning against a fence, arms crossed, looking at the ground. She approached him with caution. He looked up from the spot of the pavement he had been staring at. She made her move toward him.

"Draco? Baby, what's the matter?" she asked, touching his arm tenderly. He cringed at her touch and turned away from her gaze. His eyes were blank and glazed over. Ella was taken aback. "Honey, I can't make it better if you don't-"

"How on earth could you possibly make it better? Don't you play dumb with me, Ella. Ever since we ran into Viktor at that stupid bookstore, you have been drooling all over him! I know about your past with him," he said, turning to face her. Ella's eyes were emotionless and still. She didn't know how to react to this. What past was he talking about?

"Draco, I... I don't have any idea what you're thinking of."

"You and Viktor had something and you still do! I see the way you look at him! Stop playing me, Ella!" he yelled. Ella's lip began to tremble.

"I don't know what you're talking about! Viktor and I have never been anything but friends! I don't believe you! How can you just assume things and not even let me explain? Then you don't even believe me when I do explain!"

"Ella, save your breath," he said calmly.

"NO!" she screamed, near tears. "You don't understand! Viktor seemed to be the only one that was there for me, the only one who could understand! He was always the only friend that I knew was truly there... until I met you, but I guess you're not the guy I thought you were!" she screamed into his face. Her voice was raspy, and a tear escaped her weak dam that was trying to hold it back. She turned on her heels and ran back into the ballroom leaving Draco standing rooted on the spot, stunned.

He walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. Never before had he heard Ella get emotional like that. He still didn't know what this trauma was that she had been through, although he heard a lot about it. Part of his heart wished he knew what she was talking about.

As Draco sat on the bench, head in his hands, pondering the scene that had just taken place, he couldn't help but wonder if his actions had been just. Truth be told, he had believed Scott, which was probably the wrong thing to do. But the thing was, anyone who saw them would have guessed that there was something between them. Draco was protective of her, as if she were his wand; there was no price that could be put on it.

After a good ten minutes of sitting and thinking, the door to the patio opened and Viktor Krum walked out of it. Draco didn't look up, didn't even acknowledge that he knew that someone else had entered his space. Viktor seemed to be nervous about something and it reflected in his voice.

"Draco, may I sit?" he asked, gesturing to the space beside Draco on the bench. Draco just shrugged his shoulders. Viktor took his seat.

"Listen, I just saw Ella. Draco, she's miserable. She wouldn't tell me what happened and I feel like I need to know," he said, twiddling his thumbs. He wouldn't look directly at Draco. He looked up at Viktor.

"Krum, you don't need to know about everything in Ella's life. She's a big girl. She can take care of herself," he said. Viktor snapped his head up and looked at Draco with a look of confusion on his face.

"Draco, Ella and I go back longer than any friend I have. She's like my little sister. If something, or someone, is upsetting her, I want to know about it," he said.

"Psh, sure! Little sister, eh? Well, I don't know about the little sister part. Wouldn't that be kind of weird to have "feelings" for your own sister?" he asked with a bit of venom in his voice. Krum stood up in front of Draco.

"Listen here and listen good! I love Ella more than any girl in the world! Nevertheless, she is the greatest friend I have ever had! I have never had romantic interest in her! Yeah, she's gorgeous! Sure, she has the Quidditch talent of our whole team combined! But more importantly, throughout all of my fame, she has always been able to be the same around me! She is the strongest woman I know! After all the things that she has been through-"

"WHAT THE HELL HAS SHE BEEN THROUGH?" he bellowed, standing abruptly to his feet. "When people talk about Ella, all I ever hear is about how strong she is _after all she's been through_! Then somewhere in the conversation, you always show up as the hero! What, Krum? What has she been through? I am her BOYFRIEND! I should know these things!" he screamed. He finished short of breath. Viktor's eyes softened and his gaze turned serious.

"You really don't know?" he asked. Draco shook his head. Krum let out a sigh. "Draco, to understand and appreciate Ella's strengths, you must know her past. If she will not tell you, I will. Sit down. It's going to be a little while."


	10. Chapter 10

"Draco, when Ella was in her third year, we became fast friends after she showed the coach her Quidditch talent and made the team. I sympathized with her. I was once the young talent on the team. I took her under my wing. She became like the sister I never had.

"About halfway through her first year there, she became involved with a boy named Demetrius Theophilus. He was in my year. Ella was the "new girl" and it was a shock to everyone when they started dating. Draco, he broke more than just her heart."

"So… he took her virginity and left her? That was her struggle?" Draco said, acting uninterested because he was still fuming over Scott's tale.

"Will you let me finish please?"

"Yeah, right." Krum exhaled and continued.

"It had only been four months. I did not like him. I did not like the way he looked at her, as though she was an object, a treasure that only he had access to. One night, Ella did not make it to the team dinner after practice. I was concerned. I went looking for her everywhere and finally I went down to the Quidditch pitch. Draco, I cannot accurately say how distressed I was by what I found.

"After searching everywhere, I made it to the storage closet where the equipment was kept. I did not know why she would be there, but I could hear that someone was in there and couldn't open the door. It had to be her. I used my wand to blast away the door and I saw her.

"All she had on was her tattered Quidditch robe, the one that had been pristine only hours before. Her hair was a mess. Her nose was bleeding, her lip was swollen, she was crying. I couldn't get her to tell me what happened, all she would say is that she couldn't go to the hospital. I fixed her up as best I could. But I knew what had happened without her saying."

Krum looked away from Draco. He got up and paced back and forth. Draco had a hunch what came next in the story, but he waited for Krum to decide when the time was right. When it was, he looked Draco dead in the eye.

"He raped her. They raped her."

"What's wrong with her?" asked Narcissa as Melanie stepped out of Ella's room. Melanie sighed.

"She's got a nasty stomach bug. I better stay home with her. You guys go out without me," she said. Tonight was the last night in Paris and the bachelor and bachelorette parties had been planned for this evening.

"Oh Mel, it wouldn't be a party without you! Draco will stay home with her," said Narcissa. Draco looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I will?" he asked. Narcissa grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him a little ways away from the group.

"Draco, this would mean _so_ much to me! This is a night that most women wait their whole life for, and it would be no fun without Melanie. I know you and Ella have had your differences over the past few days, but I don't give a damn! You two will have to get over it for this one night," she scolded. Draco couldn't say no to Narcissa in this state, so he walked back over to the group.

"You go have a good time, Melanie. I'll stay home with Ella," he said. Even though both Ella and Draco had had separate plans for the evening, he would have to stay home so that his mother could have a little fun.

"Oh Draco! Thank you oh so much! Are you sure you'll be able to handle her?" she asked. Draco nodded a little hesitantly.

"Ok then! Ladies, let's get this show on the road!" said Dominique with an excited voice.

"Draco, she's currently sleeping, so just peek in on her every now and then. I'm going to warn you now that she might throw up, so just be prepared," said Melanie as the ladies parted down the stairs and out the door.

"And here we go," he said to himself. He walked downstairs to find his latest Quidditch magazine. He collapsed on the couch and began to leaf through it to find the interesting articles. Just as he had begun to read one about the latest gear, he heard a faint little voice yelling down the stairs.

"Mum? Where are you?" It was Ella, who was obviously out of bed. Draco rolled his eyes and stood up from the couch. He followed her voice upstairs, where he saw her sitting on the top step, folded over. Her blonde hair was covering her face and her breathing was out of order.

"Ella? Are you all right?" he asked, sitting next to her. Her head snapped up when she heard his voice.

"What are you doing here?" she moaned. He hadn't talked to her since his outburst three days ago at the banquet. Draco felt saddened by the pain and anger that was in her voice. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him.

"Your mum went out with the rest of them. I'm staying here with you. Is that ok?" he asked, tilting her chin up to look at him. She had pain written all over her face.

"I... uggg..." was all she could get out before throwing up all over Draco's lap. She blushed a deep, deep shade of crimson and began to apologize profusely. He just laughed.

"Ella, it's all right! Calm down, I just have to go change, that's all," he said. She sniffed and nodded. "I'll be right back," he said, leaving her and going into his bedroom to change out of his clothes and into something more comfortable. He put on some athletic shorts and a t-shirt. Using his wand, he put the puked-on clothes down into the laundry room. He returned outside to Ella, who was clutching her stomach and leaning against the banister with her eyes closed. He walked over to her quietly and touched her shoulder.

"Ella? Do you want to go back into your room?" he asked. She shook her head. "Ok, then where do you want to go?" She shifted herself and looked up at him.

"Can you put me on the couch in the family room?" she asked him. Draco smiled.

"Do you need me to carry you?" he asked. Ella nodded. "Well, you know the drill," he said with a laugh. Ella smiled up at him and pulled out of her sitting position so that he could pick her up easier. He leaned down and put his arms under her knees and put the other around her waist. He lifted her into his arms like a child.

"Doesn't this bring back memories!" said Ella with a giggle as she remembered him carrying her home after their flight on Ares. They walked downstairs and into the living room. Draco set her carefully on the couch.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked. Ella thought about it for a moment.

"Can you please get me a blanket and a pillow?" she asked with those puppy dog eyes. Without another word, Draco left to get some of the spare linens out of the closet. He returned to see her sleeping peacefully right where he had left her. He decided to take this opportunity to clean up himself.

Draco turned on the shower and stripped down. Right now, he could have been out clubbing with his friend Rob, but instead he was taking care of Ella. For some odd reason, taking care of a sick Ella had more appeal to him than dancing with numerous girls he didn't know. When the water had warmed up to the right temperature he stepped into the shower and closed the curtains.

He let the water rush over his muscles and felt himself relax. Since the other night, he hadn't reached out to Ella about what Viktor had told him. He wasn't sure it was his place. He had a new appreciation for her, but hadn't apologized for his outburst at the banquet.

He lathered up the shampoo and scrubbed his head thoroughly. He didn't want what Ella had, that was for sure. He hated throwing up more than anything. Sickness was something that he didn't need right now. He rinsed the shampoo out of his hair and looked through the shower for the anti-bacterial soap. When he didn't see it, he jumped out of the shower. Draco looked through the cabinets but he heard something that made him listen carefully.

He heard coughing and crying coming from downstairs. The only person in the house besides him was Ella, so he assumed it must be her. He threw a towel around his waist as quickly as he could and ran downstairs. He ran into the family room, but she was nowhere to be seen. The quilt he had so carefully tucked her into was now on the ground. He listened carefully and heard the coughing and gagging noises again. They were coming from the downstairs bathroom.

Ella sat crouched over the toilet bowl, clutching her stomach. She had obviously eaten something that didn't agree with her. Tears filled her eyes as another bit of bile came up and into the water. She began to shake uncontrollably. She was cold, very cold. She looked up when she felt her sweat-dampened hair be pulled from her eyes and out of the way. A soothing voice met her ears.

"It's going to be ok, Ella. Calm down," she heard Draco whisper. She clutched his knee with her spare hand, thankful he was there. Ella felt his hand begin to move in slow circles around her back, helping her relax. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and leaned into him. He was still warm and damp from the shower than she had interrupted. She closed her eyes.

"Draco, I'm so cold," she whimpered as she shook violently. Draco felt her forehead, but pulled his hand away instantly. She wasn't the least bit cold. If anything, she could be on fire. The cheeks that were normally so pale were flushed and damp with sweat and tears.

"Ella, you're so hot!"

"Thank you, so are you," she said with a weak smile. Draco's voice turned serious again.

"Ella, do you want to get back to the couch?" he asked her. Not wanting to risk throwing up, she just nodded her reply rather than opening her mouth. He picked her up and took her into the family room for the second time. Setting her gently on the couch, he noticed that she was still shaking.

"Draco, I need some blankets. I'm freezing," she pleaded. Draco knew otherwise. He picked the quilt off of the floor and covered her with it.

"I'm only going to give you this because I don't want you to get overheated. Whether you know it or not, you've got a massive fever. I need to go brew you up something, so give me a second," he said, walking over to the small cauldron that was in the kitchen. He flipped through the leather-bound book that was at its side until he found the fever reducer that he was looking for.

Slowly but surely he began to add the ingredients needed. Occasionally he would hear Ella whimper from the couch. He tried his best to speed up the process but the solution had to simmer for ten minutes. He waited impatiently until it was done. When it was, he scooped it into a glass and brought it over to Ella.

Draco sat on the edge of the couch and helped her drink the concoction down. She wasn't too pleased with its taste, but she didn't care. Right now, she would do anything to feel better. Stomach pains were the worst for her.

"Do you want to lay down here for a little while?" asked Draco, still wrapped in the towel. She looked up at him with that look of hers.

"Not if you don't stay with me," she said faintly. Draco softened a bit.

"Can I put some pants on first?"

"Well, that's not required," she said jokingly. She gave him a cheeky grin.

"Oh really?" he said with a raised eyebrow. He stood up from his spot on the couch, walked a little ways away from her, and tugged playfully on his towel. Ella laughed and pulled the quilt over her head. Draco acted slightly hurt by this gesture.

"I'll be back in a minute. You just stay on the couch and if you need me, I can be back in a flash," he said. Ella nodded and leaned back on her pillow. The pain in her stomach was still there and it was a big annoyance. She cringed a little bit as the pain escalated.

Draco looked into his dresser and put on some boxers and shorts. It was rather warm inside and he didn't feel the need to wear a t-shirt. Before heading back downstairs, he deposited his towel in the laundry basket.

When Draco walked back into the family room, he discovered that Ella's eyes were peacefully closed once again. He leaned against the doorway and stood there watching her. To his surprise, her eyes opened and she smiled.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," she said in a croaky voice. Draco was surprised that she hadn't been sleeping. Nevertheless, he smiled at her again. She was still beautiful to him, even when she was sweaty and delusional.

"Well, you seem to be doing fine on your own. I guess I'll just go upstairs and-"

"NO! Don't leave me down here by myself!" Ella pleaded. Draco laughed. She was all talk. As tough as she talked, Ella was the biggest sissy he had ever been around.

"Well, if you insist. Scoot over," said Draco as he pushed her aside. He curled up behind her on the couch and she snuggled into him. He threw his arm over her waist and laid there for some time until the silence hurt his ears.

"So Ella, what's it like at Durmstrang?" he asked her. She shifted a little bit and sighed.

"To be honest, I liked Beauxbatons better. Sure, the Quidditch is great and the schooling is first class, but there's more of a mixture at Beauxbatons. At Durmstrang, there are only three hundred students and two-hundred-fifty are boys and fifty are girls," she said with some disgust. Draco thought of another question.

"So is that why there weren't any girl contestants from Durmstrang for the Tri-Wizard Tournament?"

"Exactly that. Durmstrang is very sexist. There are no girl teachers or anything! Back in the day, Durmstrang was an all boys institute and only in recent years have they allowed girls back in. I don't hang out with them much. Since Viktor left, I had to branch out. Jack is one of my fellow Chasers. Do you want to see a picture of him?" she asked.

"Sure," he answered. Ella crawled off of the couch and walked over to the back door where her purse sat on a hanger. She dug through it until she found a strip of paper. It was one of those things that you get at the booths in any muggle mall. Draco now was lying flat on his back as Ella came over to him. She pulled the quilt off of him and stretched out on his stomach. She propped herself up on her elbows and handed him the picture sequence.

Jack had short blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a strong chin. He was slightly browned and seemed like a cocky person. One of those "I'm-good-looking-and-I-know-it" types. Jack and Ella looked like your typical best friends: just two people who had fun together.

"Wow, he sure looks like a Chaser," said Draco, noticing his bulging biceps, the necessity for anyone who played that position.

"Yeah, he's an awesome guy," said Ella fondly as she placed the pictures on the coffee table. She put her head against Draco's chest and could feel the beating of his heart against her cheek. She closed her eyes.

"So what's it like at Hogwarts?" she asked sleepily.

"It's the most beautiful place in the world. The castle is magnificent with all of its towers and marble staircases. My dorm room isn't anything special, though. It's a little boring... the classes are at least. But they'll let anybody in... Mudbloods and everything! I don't get it. But people are always respectful to me. Oh, and then there's Potter and his little group! If I had the chance I would curse-" Draco looked down in the middle of his sentence to see Ella asleep on his chest, not listening to his rambles. She breathed softly from her mouth and he could feel it on his neck. It looked like he was stuck here for a while. Not that he minded, of course.

A few minutes later, Draco found that his own eyelids were getting heavy. He closed his eyes and rested his arm on her back. Slowly he drifted off to sleep. But before he did, he felt his forearm fall asleep. He wanted to move it, but she looked so innocent that he didn't want to wake her. He fell into a deep sleep as he waited for the sun to rise.

At roughly four AM, the group of ladies arrived back from their little adventure. They thought that they could sneak in through the back door, but they had no luck. When they came through the door, they noticed Draco and Ella, who were still sleeping on the couch. They all let out a little "aww".

"Watch out, Narcissa. I think you may be looking at your future daughter-in-law," said Dominique to her older sister who just smiled sweetly. To be honest with herself, she had never seen her son as happy as he had been this summer. The way he acted, the way he smiled, and the way his eyes lit up when she walked into a room... it was an interesting thing to watch. Whether Draco wanted to admit it or not, she knew he was in love.

"Come on ladies, let's not wake them up," whispered Melanie. They tiptoed out of the room and turned off the light.


	11. Chapter 11

It had been four days since the group had returned home from Paris. Despite the fun that they had had, it was exciting to be home. Tomorrow was the wedding and the house was alive with activity as everything they had ordered began to arrive. Today, however, was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal was coming to an end.

"Ok, to finish off the ceremony, I will say your vows to each of you, and you will say them in return. While this is happening, the Unbreakable Vow will be made. I will present you as husband and wife, the doves will be released, and you will kiss. Any questions?" asked the priest. When he didn't get an answer, he dismissed the group to go eat in the reception tent.

Draco met Ella at the end of the aisle. He put his arm around her shoulders as they walked to the large white tent where the feast would be held. Most of each family was already here. The tent was almost full by the time they arrived.

As the two of them strutted through the tent, laughing and joking with relatives and friends, Draco couldn't help but feel more at home. He didn't get to see these people under normal circumstances. Draco was talking with his second cousin when he felt the familiar feeling of a snake-head cane on his shoulder.

"Draco, your great-grandmother is here and she wishes to see you," he said. Draco tried to hide his lack of enthusiasm.

"Where is Great-Granny Malfoy?" he asked. Lucius pointed to one of the fountains that had been brought in for the wedding. There was a group of a few people hanging around a rather large woman in a wheel chair. Narcissa was there talking with her. She had a very forced smile on her face.

"Come on, Ella. Let's get this over with," whispered Draco, grabbing Ella's hand and dragging her over to meet Great-Granny Malfoy.

"Oh, look who's come to see you, Hali! It's Draco!" she said.

"Draco? Where is the boy?" she said a little louder than she should. Granny Malfoy was hard of hearing.

"Right here, Grandmother," said Draco, touching her shoulder so she knew where he was. She turned in his direction and pulled him into a hug.

"Draco Malfoy! What a charming young man you have become! Oh, and who is _this _lovely young lady? Finally buckle down and find him a bride, did you Narcissa?" asked Hali, squinting in Ella's direction. She blushed heavily.

"No, Hali. This is Draco's little friend, Ella," corrected Narcissa. "We are going to let Draco choose his own bride when he's ready."

"That's not the way it was in my day! When I was fourteen I was married to Aldric Malfoy and by the time I was sixteen, I had already given him two heirs to the Malfoy household! You all are too soft these days with this talk of love! It's important to get a good woman to produce strong heirs! Who are you again?" she asked Draco. Draco just rolled his eyes.

"Nice seeing you again, Grandmother," said Draco as he departed, leaving Narcissa to deal with Hali's ramblings.

Ella and Draco walked back into the tent and sat at a table. They began to talk, not thinking that tomorrow would be their last day together. One day after the wedding, the Stone family would be departing back to their home in New Zealand. They would both be going back to school and possibly forgetting each other. Owls every now and then, possible accidental run-into's... would it be enough? Well, right now no one was thinking about that. These next two days were about being together.

There seemed to be about twenty people here already. Tomorrow, around eighty more would be arriving. Dominique had planned for a very extravagant wedding. Nothing but the best for a Black daughter. Every one of them had had a marvelous wedding... with the exception of Andromeda. That's what you get when you marry a muggle!

Halfway through Draco's story about the last Slytherin versus Ravenclaw Quidditch match, John stood up from his chair to make a toast. The whole tent silenced as they waited for him to speak. A waiter was walking around with trays of champagne. Ella and Draco took two glasses.

"Um, can I have your attention please? Thank you. On behalf of Dominique and me, we wanted to thank you all for coming to rehearse with us. I'm hoping that the real thing is as exciting as this has been. Please allow me to thank a few people in particular. I would like to thank Lucius and Narcissa for allowing this beautiful thing to take place at their home. Also, thank you to Draco for putting up with all these women. You know damn well that I and your father couldn't do it as long as you have," he said. There was some applause and then he raised his glass.

"Let us make a toast to the Malfoy's and the generosity they have shown us. To the Malfoys!" he said.

"The Malfoys!" the group rang out as their glasses clinked. Ella wrapped her arm around Draco's waist and kissed his cheek.

"With that taken care of, I would like to invite you all to help yourselves to this lovely buffet. I can assure you that tomorrow will be twice as wonderful as this," finished John. He took his seat by Dominique who beamed at her soon-to-be-husband. That was the kind of love Ella wanted more than anything.

"Come on, Draco. We've got food to eat and things to do!" she said, pulling him to his feet. Draco followed her to the line and his mouth began to water. They were having just a small picnic lunch, and a cheeseburger sounded very good to him right now.

They worked their way through the line until they came to what they wanted. They filled their plates quickly and then went to sit back at their table. They ate in silence for a while. Since they had returned from Paris, Dominique had hardly given them time to eat. And when they _did_ have time to eat, they were too exhausted to even try. Today was the calm before the storm.

"Watch it, Ella. You won't be able to fit in your dress tomorrow!" joked Draco as he watched Ella devour her second cheeseburger.

"I don't care at this point! Your aunt has starved me to death for three days! Three very _long_ days. As far as I'm concerned, I would rather walk down the aisle naked tomorrow than not eat this potato salad," she said aggressively.

"I don't think any of us would find that to unsettling," he said cheekily. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear.

"What do you say me and you go to a place a little more private? Besides, I've got a little something I want you to see," he said as he nipped playfully at her ear. She giggled and agreed to his request... as soon as she finished her potato salad.

Narcissa and Melanie sat at the head table, looking around the crowds. Narcissa had finally managed to get rid of Great Granny Malfoy for the time being. Dominique was too busy to spend time with them, seeing that she was the bride and all. Right now, she was mingling with the guests. Melanie and Narcissa waited quietly off to the side until the buffet line went down.

"Is there supposed to be this many people at the _rehearsal_?" asked Melanie as she noticed the tent become fuller and fuller. Narcissa took a sip of her drink before answering.

"Honestly, I don't know. Dee told me that she had just invited a few people and Lucius said he had some family coming the day before the wedding, but I had no idea that this was how many people they were talking about," she said with a sigh. She hoped there was enough food...

"I can't believe this... she may be the bride, but we have had to handle _everything_ for this wedding! The photographer, the DJ, the flowers... I love Dee to death, but I'll be happy when it's all over," said Melanie with a bit of a glare at Dominique, who was schmoozing with one of her many cousins.

Narcissa was beginning to wonder where her son had gone to when she noticed him seated at a table with Ella. This summer, he and that girl had been inseparable. She began to wonder how he would take it when they had to leave.

"My, my, Melanie. Look at our two children! I've never seen Draco smile so much," she said with a smile of her own.

"I've never seen Ella so smitten either. Then again, I'm happy that she found something to occupy her time with this summer. I though that her and Draco wouldn't get along very well... it _had_ been seven years since they last saw each other," said Melanie. Her heart was lightened with the thought that Ella had found something that made her happy. It almost broke her heart to think that they would be leaving the day after tomorrow.

"I miss Britain, Narcissa. I really and truly do," said Melanie sadly.

"I wish you could move back, Mel. Goodness, when Ella got into Durmstrang, you guys moved to Bulgaria and I missed you so much! I wish there was a way," said Narcissa.

"One can only dream," said Melanie, taking another drink of her champagne.

When Ella had finished her potato salad, taken a breath mint, and quickly talked her way out of a conversation with Draco's second cousin Meredith, they headed off on their mission. Ella didn't know where he was taking her, but she had a feeling it was something she was going to like.

Draco guided her through the groups of people and out into the garden, which had been expanded for the occasion. A cobblestone path now cut through the middle of the garden towards a white arch that was covered in black, white, and silver roses. Behind the arch, a fountain shot water into the air. It was a beautiful sight to see.

When they got to the garden gate, Draco opened it for Ella and they walked through it and began to walk towards the forest. Blossoming trees had been planted for the sake of scenery at the wedding and had been charmed so that the petals were constantly cascading to the ground. As they walked through them, Ella giggled as they tickled her bare shoulders. Today for the rehearsal, she had chosen to wear a simple black tube-top and jeans with a pair of black sandals. She hadn't exactly expected that all those people were going to be there.

Ella reached down and clutched Draco's hand in hers as they walked through the pink and white petals. With the new change of scenery, Ella wasn't quite sure where they were going. As far as she was concerned, she had never been down this path before. Since she was letting Draco guide her, she let her mind wander to other things.

_"Wow, Draco looks fabulous in black... have I ever seen him in just a t-shirt and jeans? I don't think so... where are we going? Where's Chase? Probably at the barn... oh, I love horses. Ares was very pretty... gosh I hope I fit into my dress tomorrow... I really did look fabulous in silver..." _she thought as she walked. Before she could snap back to reality, Draco had stopped. They were at the barn.

What Draco wanted to show her, Ella didn't know. She had met every horse in the barn, knew all of them by name, and had even ridden all of them. She had seen everything there was to see here... or so she thought.

They walked down the flagstone path that led to the stable where the prized winged horses were stabled. Draco led her in through the oak door that went into the tack room. Naturally, this room was extra large to accommodate each horses plus size saddles and bridles. Ella couldn't stand it anymore. She hated surprises.

"Draco, why are we here? I've seen everything there is to see," asked Ella. Draco laughed at her.

"There is a special something that you haven't seen. Just close your eyes and I will show you something that most think only exists in fairy tales," he said, walking around behind her and shielding her eyes with his hands. He led her carefully through the other door and out into the open breezeway. Situating her, once again, in front of a large box stall.

"Ok, open your eyes," said Draco with some excitement in his voice. This was a site most wouldn't see in their lifetime.

Ella gasped when she saw what was in front of her. A large, pure-white horse with silver hooves stood in front of her. The feathers of its wings seemed to shine with shades of white and silver. There was not a speck of gray anywhere on this large, winged-horse.

"Draco... what is it?" she asked shakily. He smiled as he prepared an answer. As he leaned against the stall door, he called the great beast over to him.

"This, Ella, is an extremely rare breed of winged-horse. There are only fifteen in existence and five of them are stallions. He happens to be one of them. Ella, meet Achilles. He is a Pegasus," said Draco with a smile. He was proud of this horse. Lucius had purchased him five years ago. The reason he hadn't been here for the summer was that he was away on... "business". Truth-be-told, he was away breeding a heard of five mares in Greece.

"Draco! I've never seen anything like this!" said Ella as she stroked his massive nose. It seemed to glow in its place in the stall. The horse's back had to be eight feet tall at least.

"Come over here. I've got some pictures of his foals," said Draco, who had walked back into the tack room. Ella had a hard time tearing her eyes away from the beautiful creature, but she did it as best she could.

Draco pulled the album off of the shelf and flipped through it. Most of the Malfoy's winged-horse stock was stallions. They were shipped all over the world to breed to the finest mares. Ares was currently on leave in Australia. This book contained every baby that was sired by a Malfoy stallion.

"Look at this one, Ella," said Draco, pointing to a little gray foal. It was a Granian, who was out of one of their stallions they no longer owned. Draco had a fondness for little foals. When winged horses are babies, they look like an ordinary foal except for tiny little wings protruding from their shoulders. This one was gun metal gray with white wings; a very desirable color combination.

"Oh, they're so cute!" said Ella as she gazed fondly at the pages. "Where are some pictures of Achilles' babies?"

"Um... right here!" said Draco as he flipped to the right section. Ella gazed down on the one page of babies. They were pure black.

"Why are they black?" she asked out of curiosity.

"They change color when they reach sexual maturity. It's the same thing with unicorns. This little one is a champion flyer now," said Draco, pointing down at a picture of a frisky young one. He then gestured to a wall where a picture of a Pegasus in flight was hanging. "That's her right there. She went to a Greek woman who had wanted one for years. Her application was finally approved after eight years of waiting," he said. Ella leafed through the album until she had seen every one of them.

"Let's go see him again," said Ella, handing the album back to Draco. She headed back out into the barn and gazed upon him.

"If you look through his feathers, you won't find a single gray or silver one," said Draco when he had put everything away in the tack room. Ella examined the horse closely and she couldn't see one. She wondered how he glowed.

"Merlin, I've never seen anything so beautiful!" said Ella with a sigh.

"I have," said Draco with a grin. Ella looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Really? What?" she asked. Draco stepped closer to her and wrapped his strong arms around her waist.

"It's not really a what," he said in a husky voice. "It's more of a... who," he said as he pressed his lips to hers. They entwined in each others arms and Ella was pressed against the barn wall. She was pinned by his strong chest. Their bliss was short-lived, however, because they heard someone yell and then Draco cringed.

He fell to the floor, not really sure what had happened. He felt where something had hit him hard in the middle of his back and he sat there on the cold cement. He couldn't see his attacker, but Ella could.

"SCOTT! How could you!" yelled Ella as she bent by Draco's side. He pushed her aside and stood up to face his attacker, who had stepped out of the tack room. His wand was still raised.

"Oh, you want to play dirty, eh?" said Draco as he wiped the dirt off his jeans.

"Draco, no! It's not worth it!" said Ella. Draco held up his hand to silence her. She tried to argue, but it wasn't having an effect on the two boys. Draco drew his wand from his pocket. Scott opened his mouth to say something, but Draco was quicker.

_"Expelliarmus!"_ he yelled. The spell hit Scott square in the chest and caused his wand to soar into the air. Draco caught it with ease in his free hand. Scott was on his knees at the far end of the breezeway. Draco walked slowly over to where he sat, wand pointed at him. Scott was clutching his chest and breathing hard.

"You keep your hands off my sister, boy!" he yelled as he jumped onto Draco and tackled him onto the ground. He felt a blow go to the side of his face and hadn't had time to react. Draco began swinging punches and kicks wherever he could. He could hear Ella yelling in the background for them to stop, but testosterone seemed to be deafening them. Draco felt another punch hit his cheek and he felt his fist make contact with Scott's jaw. Luckily, a familiar voice came to the rescue.

"Boys, boys! Break it up!" yelled Chase as he entered the barn. He ran over to the scene and did his best to break them up. When he had finally managed to pull Scott off of Draco, the damage had already been done. His eye was beginning to swell and there was a reasonably good sized cut on his cheek. Scott had a small trickle of blood coming from the corner of his mouth that he wiped away with the back of his hand.

Chase tended to Draco's wounds and Ella cried and yelled at her brother. Scott didn't seem to feel any remorse over what he had done. When Draco could finally tell how many fingers Chase was holding up, the walked rather drunkenly back to the house.

"Scott, I am shocked! I never expected that you, of all people, would attack someone who is only half your size! And unprovoked? I cannot believe this!" yelled Keith as he paced the family room. Draco sat on the couch with a large icepack over his eye and Ella was sitting next to him, throwing glares at Scott.

Scott sat in a chair by the window, arms crossed, and seeming very annoyed. When they had arrived back at the house, Ella had begun to whine to their parents about how she never had privacy and that she was never treated like an adult. Melanie had silenced her quickly.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you, boy. I can't keep you here. That would be an insult to Lucius and Narcissa. I just want you gone. Get off this property and out of my sight. I'll deal with you when we return home from this wedding," finished Keith with a wave of his hand. He collapsed in a chair and began to massage his temples. Scott stood up from where he sat.

"Fine. I didn't even want to be here for this stupid wedding," he said as he departed from the living room. They heard a "pop" as Scott disapparated. Melanie let out a sigh and Narcissa went over to tend to Draco.

"I can't believe that jerk," whispered Ella. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. She bit her lip to hold back her tears. She hated her brother... everything about him. He had always been rude and mean to her.

"Ella, you know your brother," said Melanie. It was one of those mommy statements that were supposed to solve conflicts.

"Yes, Mother, I do know my brother. I know that I never want to see the bastard as long as I live!" said Ella as she stood up. She turned on her heel and walked briskly from the room. Melanie got up to follow her and Scott followed after Melanie. This was a side of the Stone family that Draco had never seen before. Lucius, who had been standing, took Scott's chair that he had been sitting in.

"Narcissa, I have one thing to say about all this," he said in a serious tone. Narcissa looked up from the floor.

"What is that?" said Narcissa. Lucius did something that he rarely did... he smiled.

"I would just like to say, that I'm glad we didn't have a girl."


	12. Chapter 12

"CISSY? WHERE'S MY VEIL?" yelled Dominique from the spare bedroom. The wedding started in forty-five minutes and the house was in total and utter chaos. When Keith was running through the hall, he had nearly knocked over the wedding cake. Ella was down in the hall greeting guests, Melanie was searching for Dee's veil, and Narcissa was trying to find her stilettos.

"GOT IT!" yelled Melanie when she discovered the white veil in the master bedroom. She sprinted down the hall and back to Dominique. The hairdresser was very impatient and snatched it from her hands. He centered it into the bun of ringlets that sat upon Dominique's head. She looked at herself in the mirror and clapped her hand to her red lips.

"I... look... GORGEOUS!" said Dominique as she began to fan herself with her free hand. Melanie rolled her eyes. She was _such_ a drama queen.

"I found them!" said Narcissa as she hurried into the room. She had finally found her stilettos in the downstairs closet. When she saw her little sister, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Oh my goodness, Dee! You look beautiful!" said Narcissa as she began to fan herself too. _It must be genetic_, thought Melanie. Just then, Draco opened the door and popped his head in.

"Um, ladies? Do any of you know how to tie a bowtie?" he asked. The hairdresser, Geoff, walked towards the door.

"Move your pretty little hand and let me do it," he said. His voice... it was so... so... QUEER! Draco screamed and ran down the hall and locked himself in the bathroom. Since his run-in with the boy in Paris, he was _slightly_ homophobic. "What? Was it something I said?" said Geoff as shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the room and down the hall to the study where the boys were preparing.

Lucius was pacing the floor as John fumbled with his bowtie. He had to be down at the alter in half an hour. This was not the stress he needed.

"Oh, come on John! It can't be that difficult!" said Lucius as he tried to remember how to tie it. Just then, Geoff came into the room.

"Move over and let me do it!" he said. Lucius and John had no idea who this strange man was that had intruded into the study. Geoff did a few twists of the fabric and it was soon tied perfectly into a neat little bow. "You, come here," he said to Lucius. Normally he wouldn't listen to some random person, but he was desperate. With his nose in the air, he let Geoff tie it quickly for him.

"There! Now you boys better hurry up! You have twenty minutes!" he said as he turned and left the room. With a shrug of their shoulders, the boys continued to prep themselves for the biggest day of John's life.

Down the hall, Ella was standing outside the bathroom door trying to coax Draco out. He was refusing to go anywhere near the hairdresser.

"Draco, you sissy! Come out! It's not like he's going to jump you! I won't let him, I promise," she said. Finally, she felt the knob turn and Draco opened the door cautiously. She smiled and tried to hold back the laughter. He looked like a ferret that had been shaken up in a can. "Come here and let me fix your hair," she said as she moved his hair back into place. He smiled his thanks.

"How much time do we have?" asked Draco. Ella looked at the clock on the wall.

"Shit! We have less than fifteen minutes! Go get the boys! I need to make sure that the ladies are ready," Ella said, slightly flustered. She pushed Draco down the hall to make sure that he got the message.

"Ladies! We have just enough time to lace up the stilettos! Move it!" said Ella. She sounded like a drill sergeant. Just then, Dominique remembered something.

"Wait! I can't go down there yet!" she screamed. Melanie, who was lacing up Dee's dress, gave it a tug and carried on.

"What do you mean? We have to get you down there!"

"I don't have something old, something new, something borrowed, or something blue!" she said in distress. Narcissa rolled her eyes.

"Oh Dee, come on! That's a muggle tradition!"

"So? I think it's sweet! I'm not leaving until I get those things, so you better hurry up!" she said in a very stuck-up manner.

"Ella, we need to finish getting ready. Do you think you could get us something new, something borrowed, and something blue in less than ten minutes? We'll get something old," asked Melanie. Ella thought for a second. It would be a challenge...

"I think I can do it. I'll be right back," she said as she left the room. She hurried through the downstairs until she saw Draco, who was waiting by the back door that led to the garden.

"Draco! I need a galleon!" she said breathlessly. Draco looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What for?"

"I just need it! There's no time to explain!" she said. Draco rolled his eyes and reached into his back pocket and pulled out a large silver coin and gave it to her. She kissed his cheek and thanked him quickly. She still needed something blue and something new... and then it hit her.

She sprinted upstairs and rummaged through her trunk. She knew she had packed it somewhere! When she had finally found what she was looking for, she realized that she needed something new.

Ella thought for a second on the floor of her room. What did she have that was new? When she had finally thought about it for two very long minutes, she convinced herself that Dominique was already wearing new shoes, so she didn't _need _anything new. With that in mind, Ella hurried down the hall to the other guest room that was serving as the bridal suite.

"I've got it! Ok, here's a galleon that I borrowed from Draco," she said, handing the coin to Dominique. She put it into her bra. "You're wearing new shoes, so you don't need that. Now hold out your foot," said Ella as she unscrewed the bottle of blue nail polish.

"You're going to screw up my pedicure!"

"Oh, take a chill pill! It's only one toe!" said a very irritated Ella. "Where's the something old?"

"Oh crap! Melanie, get me that bag! I've got an old something of Dee's in there," said Narcissa. Melanie did as she was told. They only had three minutes until they walked down the aisle.

Narcissa dug quickly through the bag until she found a silver chain. It was an old anklet that she had borrowed while on their stay in Paris. "Dee, hold out your ankle!"

Dominique did as she was told. Narcissa quickly attached the anklet. Ella looked at the clock on the wall and shooed them out of the room and down the stairs. They got there just in time to hear the pianist begin to play the music to walk down the aisle.

Draco was nervous. He stood at the end of the aisle between Derek and his father as they waited for the girls. John looked nervous as well. In the wizard world, you had to be damn sure that you wanted to be married. They believe that marriage was forever, whether you liked it or not. Hence, the Unbreakable Vow. There was a soul mate out there for everyone and it was important that you wanted to be married.

Just as the music began to play, Draco's ears perked up. He watched the end of the aisle as one of his little cousins, Annabelle, began to spread the rose petals. Followed closely behind her was Adam, John's nephew. He held the pillow that contained the rings. Then, the ladies began to come.

First came Narcissa. She was wearing a silver, floor length gown that had a deep v-neck. It was a halter style dress that accentuated her curves.

Next came Melanie. She was wearing a strapless, silver gown that had a slit up the thigh. It showed off her beautiful cleavage.

Ella came last. Draco thought she looked flawless in her silver, knee-length gown. It had a scoop neckline and she wore silver lace-up heels that wrapped elegantly around her muscular calves. Her hair was pulled up onto her head in a beautiful display of curls.

When Ella had reached her place by the alter, the music stopped for a moment and the crowd stood up. The bridal march began to play. John's back became straight as he waited for his bride.

Dominique turned the corner and stopped at the end of the aisle. She would be walking herself down the aisle today since her father was dead. The walk down the aisle was slow and she tried to fight the urge to run to the alter. She loved the dress that she had decided to wear.

It had taken many tries and trips to fifteen different bridal shops, but they had finally found the perfect dress in a little shop on the outskirts of Paris. It was a white, strapless gown that had a hoopskirt. The train was at least eight feet long. On the back were two strips of fabric that featured black embroidery of roses and vines. The bodice also featured the same embroidery. The bodice had a corset that was laced with black ribbon. It fit her like a glove and she knew that it was the perfect dress for her.

John smiled when he saw her. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he had found the perfect woman for him. He stood up proudly. When she reached him, he happily took her hand and waited for the ceremony to begin. The priest glanced down at his book, smiled at the two of them, and prepared to start.

"Marriage is the holiest of unions. It takes something stronger than magic to create a _true_ love. Today, Jonathan and Dominique show their love for each other by pledging their loyalty with all of us as witnesses. Please step forward and we will begin."

"And do you, Dominique, promise to uphold the honor of both his and your family's as they join into one?"

"I do," said Dominique. The final vow had been said and the last bit of silver escaped the end of the priest's wand. He put it back into his robe.

"By the power invested in me by the British Ministry of Magic, I know pronounce you husband and wife. John, you may kiss your bride," he said. John smiled and leaned in. He kissed Dominique sweetly on the lips. There was a shower of rose petals and two white doves were released. There was an eruption of applause as Dominique and John turned to face the crowd. Draco glanced over the aisle as they got out of the way. Ella was quietly blotting her wet face with a tissue. Narcissa was as well.

They started down the aisle, each of them pairing of with the next person. Derek went first, accompanied by no one. Then Narcissa and Lucius went arm in arm. Keith and Melanie were next and then Draco looked at Ella.

She was still silently crying. The ceremony had been absolutely beautiful and she hadn't wanted it to end. When they began walking back down the aisle, Ella took the arm that Draco was offering her. She gazed up into his gray eyes and smiled. Not looking from each other, they walked to the end of the aisle as the rose petals continued to fall. Draco thought he heard the priest say something about meeting in the tent, but he wasn't sure. He was just so wrapped up in Ella.

When they finally reached the tent, they could see that it was already crowded. Dominique and John had slipped away and were taking pictures while the rest of them waited patiently. Draco and Ella worked the crowds, occasionally talking. They were walking down one of the paths in the large garden when they saw Melanie, Narcissa, and a group of other women they didn't know. They made their way over to them.

When they got close enough, they saw that they were all gathered around a redheaded woman who was holding a baby. The ladies were cooing to the little thing and saying compliments on how adorable she was. Ella dropped Draco's hand and made her way over to see it.

"Oh, Maya, she's beautiful!" said Narcissa. The little girl was wearing a pink dress and gazing up at her admirers. Ella walked to the middle of the group.

"Maya, this is my daughter, Ella and Narcissa's son, Draco," said Melanie.

"Pleasure to meet you two," said Maya with a smile. Ella couldn't hold it in anymore. She sat next to Maya on the bench and asked the question she was bursting to ask.

"Can I hold her?" she asked. Ella loved babies.

"Sure! Her name's Taylor, by the way," she said, carefully handing the baby into Ella's waiting arms. A smile lit her features as she gazed fondly down on the little girl.

Draco, who was standing a little ways back, watched the scene. Ella looked beautiful with a baby in her arms and he couldn't help but notice it. He found his mind drifting to thoughts of him and Ella with their own baby, strolling through the park...

"Draco? Do you want to hold her?" he heard Ella say. He snapped back from his day dream. Yes, he wanted to hold the baby. The problem was that he had always been anxious about holding babies. What if he dropped it, or it started crying? He was just nervous about it, that's all.

"I don't know..."

"Come on, Draco," said Narcissa. "She doesn't bite."

"Oh, I guess so," said Draco. He sat next to Ella on the bench. She carefully laid the baby into his arms. Draco tried to recall everything he knew about holding babies. _Support the head... if they cry, don't panic..._

As soon as Draco felt the weight of Taylor in his arms, he softened. The little girl gazed up at him with a smile on her face. He couldn't help but smile himself. Any fears that he had had were now gone. He brought his finger to her cheek and gently stroked it. She began to laugh and she grabbed it. It was strange. Draco noticed for the first time the beauty of a baby's tiny fingers...

Just as Draco began to play with her, Lucius and Keith came over. It had been nearly forty-five minutes since the wedding and people were starting to wonder where the bride and groom were. Keith answered this question.

"They're just wrapping it all up now. We went and checked," he said.

Ella leaned over Draco's shoulder to see little Taylor. She linked her arm through his and gazed upon her pretty face. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she held her hand out to Taylor, who grabbed her finger as well. They didn't know it, but the group was watching them.

"Oh, I want one of these," said Ella, not realizing what she had said.

"Me too," said Draco. There was a giggle from a few of the women who were standing there. Draco and Ella didn't realize what this must sound like to them.

"I don't think so!" said Melanie.

"You're far too young!" said Narcissa.

"I'd keep an eye on these two if I were you," said another woman in the group with a laugh. Keith and Lucius looked very uncomfortable. Ella and Draco both blushed.

"That's not what we meant!" said Draco as he carefully handed the baby back to Maya, who was smiling at him. He could feel the embarrassment on his face. Ella was laughing at her disability to keep her thoughts in her head. Luckily, Dominique saved the day.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this party started!" she said. They group made their way into the tent and the DJ came on to announce their arrival.

"Ladies and gentleman, can I please have your attention? We would like to begin this celebration and it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you for the second time, Mister and Misses John Bancroft!" he said. Everyone clapped as the couple began their first dance.

Ella stood by Draco's side as she watched the newlyweds. The love that they felt for each other was something that could not be hidden. She laid her head against his shoulder. When they were finished, they announced that food was available. As usual, they didn't need to say that twice...

It was six thirty and the sun was just starting to set. John and Dominique had been married officially for five hours. So far the night had been magical. Dancing, partying, cutting the cake... it was all wonderful.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please! All of you ladies without a ring on your finger, get out onto the dance floor for the throwing of the bouquet!" said the DJ. Ella, who was schmoozing with an old family friend, made her way through the crowd so that she could get a prime location. Dominique stood by the stage where the DJ was and turned her back to the group of about twenty girls. Ella wanted this bouquet even if she had to tackle somebody.

"Ok ladies, I want this to be a neat and orderly operation! Ready? One... two... three!" yelled the DJ as Dominique through the bouquet up and over her head. It landed short of the group and Ella dove onto the ground with about three other girls. She pushed one out of the way and kicked the other and before she knew it, she was raising the flowers into the air.

"What now, ladies? WHAT NOW?" she yelled. She was a little short of breath and began laughing uncontrollably. She had achieved her goal.

Draco, who had watched this whole ordeal from the sidelines, laughed along with her. In her haste to catch the bouquet, her curls had been knocked askew. She walked off the dance floor and towards him. He held out his arms and she ran into them, still laughing. Then, the DJ made yet _another_ announcement.

"The ladies have had their chance, now it's time for you men! If there isn't a ring on your left hand, get your booty out here!" he said. Ella looked up and Draco with a smile.

"No way in hell, Ella," he said. These little public things weren't his thing.

"_Please_, Draco? For me?" she said with that famous puppy-dog pout. Draco tried to look away, but it was no use. She was far too powerful.

"Oh, all right," he said, irritated. Ella clapped her hands as he walked out onto the dance floor. A group of about fifteen boys had gathered. Dominique sat in the chair as John made a big show about removing the garter. Draco stood at the back of the group with his arms crossed and looking very much like he didn't want to be there. When John had finally removed the black and white lacey band, the DJ made the call.

"Alright gentlemen, on the count of three! One... two... three!"

The garter flew out of John's hands as he tossed it over his shoulder. There was a slight scramble as everyone looked for where it had gone. The crowd parted when they realized who had caught it. Well, he hadn't _caught_ it exactly...

Draco looked towards the top of his head. He reached up and grabbed the garter, which had landed neatly upon his blonde little head. He was slightly embarrassed as he walked off the dance floor to Ella, who was laughing with the rest of the crowd. He had _really_ not wanted that to happen.

Just as things couldn't get any worse, the photographer went up to the two of them and asked for a picture.

"Come on Draco, it's not that bad!"

"Oh fine... ONE picture," said Draco. Public embarrassment was _absolutely_ not his idea of fun.

"Wait one second! Something isn't right..." thought Ella as she examined him. She spotted the garter in his hand and had an idea. "Give me that!" she said, snatching it out of his hand. He looked confused. Before he could open his mouth to object, Ella put the garter around his head. She turned him towards the camera and smiled with the bouquet up by his face. The camera flashed and the photographer thanked them for their time. Draco glared at Ella, who just laughed.

They exited the tent together, arm in arm. Ella still laughed at Draco and he just tried his best to ignore her. They floated through the crowd, occasionally talking to someone they knew. When they had made their way to a fairly secluded area, they sat on one of the benches that had been brought in for the occasion.

For a moment, nothing was said. Draco sat there looking at something in the distance, seeming a little out of it. Ella stared at him, wondering what must be going through his mind.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked. He snapped back to reality with a perplexed look on his face.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry... I forgot that you were raised anti-muggle. When I say "penny for your thoughts" it means you have to tell me what you were thinking at that moment. So tell me Draco, what were you thinking?" she said. He thought for a moment and then told her his answer.

"I don't know... I guess I was thinking about going back to school and seeing everyone," he said with a shrug. Ella nodded knowingly. This time, Draco gazed upon her. She had the same distanced look that he had worn only moments ago. He decided to make some small talk.

"Hey Ella?"

"Yeah?"

"What's the one thing in your past that you regret more than anything? The one thing that you wish you could change?" he asked. When he realized the obviousness of his question, he cast his gaze downward. "Sorry, I forgot."

"It's ok. I'm a lot more comfortable with it now than I was back then. I know that I need to be more careful and not let things get to me like they used too," she said with an encouraging smile. "Now it's my turn to ask a question."

"Ok, shoot," he said. Ella got a look of sadness across her face. She glanced down at her hands and thought for a long moment before letting out a sigh and turning to face him.

"Will you miss me? You know, when I leave tomorrow?"

Draco hadn't been prepared for this. It had been a topic they had clearly been avoiding since they went to Paris. I guess they thought that if it was mentioned, the magic would be gone and they would wake up from this marvelous dream they were having. But the magic was not gone. Ella was still looking at Draco as he thought of his answer.

"Ella Stone, I will miss you more than anything. These last three months have been the greatest time of my life," he said. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a little box. He held it out to her. "This is for you. It was my grandmother's."

Ella took the box with shaky hands. She felt the smooth velvet covering on the box as she carefully opened it. When she saw what it held, she clasped her hand to her mouth.

"Draco, it's beautiful!"

"I thought you would like it. It's just a little "forget-me-not" present."

Ella still gazed upon the silver locket in the case. Embossed into the cover of it was the Malfoy family crest. How on earth could she possibly forget him now?

"Draco, it's so beautiful! Thank you _so_ much! But... I also have something for you," she said, reaching into her evening bag. She, too, pulled out a velvet covered case. This one was slightly smaller than his, but he could tell that it was jewelry. She held it out to him. "Open it."

Draco took the box and lifted the lid carefully. There, sitting upon a little cushion, was a silvery-white band. He lifted it out and noticed that there was a little inscription on the inside of it. He looked closer at it and read what it said:

_Don't forget to remember me ~ Ella_

"It's a white-gold band that I bought for you in Paris. I had it engraved when we were shopping. Do you like it?" she said, biting her lip. Draco took it from the box and slipped it on his finger.

"A perfect fit," he said with a look into her eyes. For a moment, all was still. There was no one in the world but them. Time seemed to have stopped to cherish this moment that they still had. In less that twenty-four hours, they would part. Leaving behind something greater than themselves.

"Draco?"

"Yeah?"

"I... I love you," said Ella. She bit her lip nervously again. He just sat there, looking at her with a perplexed look.

"What?"

"I said I love you. You don't have to say it back, but I know that that's how I feel and I just want to let you know before it's too late."

Draco's silence wasn't what Ella thought it was. In his house, those three words were hardly spoken. Everyone knew of their love for each other and that was thought to be good enough. The truth was, he didn't know how to respond. The shock of hearing the three words he had been longing to hear all summer had finally been said.

"Ella?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you too."


	13. Chapter 13

The next day seemed a blur to Draco. It was a difficult time for the whole household. John and Dominique had left last night for their honeymoon, so only the Stone's remained. As they all watched the trunks be brought down to the living room fire, a few tears were shed.

"Oh girls, I'm going to miss you so much!" said Narcissa, hugging Melanie and Ella in a group embrace.

"We'll miss you too, Narcissa. Thanks for everything this summer," said Melanie. Over in the other corner of the room, Keith was saying his goodbyes to Lucius and Draco.

"Well boys, it's been a pleasure. Come see us in New Zealand some time."

"That's an offer I would love to take you up on. Have a safe trip home," said Lucius, shaking Keith's hand. Draco shook it a little halfheartedly.

All morning, he had been avoiding Ella. You would think that they wanted to be together every last second, but it seemed to only intensify the pain when they were even in the same room. As Melanie made her way toward the fire with her trunk, he knew he didn't have much more time with her. It was time.

"Ella? Can I talk to you for a moment?" he said, shakily. Ella gave him a sad smile and followed him into a corner of the room.

They stood there, not saying anything for a second. Draco was very bad with goodbyes like this. Being emotional was something new to him... and he didn't like the feeling.

"Draco, it's been fun," she said. _Fun is an understatement,_ she thought to herself. This was hard for Draco. She could see it in every line of his face.

"Indeed it has."

"Write to me often, ok?" Ella said, taking his hand and loosely holding it in her own. He squeezed it back.

"Alright."

"Ella? It's your turn to go, sweetheart," said Keith from over by the fire. Ella dropped Draco's hand and looked into his eyes. He flashed an encouraging smile. One of them had to be strong. She walked slowly over the fire and took a pinch of floo powder and tossed it into the flames. Stepping carefully into the emerald blaze, she turned back one final time.

As she gazed into Draco's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, she realized she had to leave. With a sigh, she tried to speak clearly.

"The Stone Bungalow!"

And with a puff of smoke, she was gone.

The steam rose out of the Hogwarts Express as Draco walked through the crowds. It had been more than a week since Ella had left. He hadn't received any letters from her since. He felt that she had abandoned him, and he had every right to feel that way. Now that he was back to his old life, it was time to forget her.

Lucius had dropped him off roughly ten minutes ago. He was still looking for Crabbe and Goyle. His worthless excuses for friends hadn't been where they had said they'd be. He finally spotted Blaise Zabini, a fellow sixth year Slytherin. He flagged him down.

"Blaise! BLAISE!"

"What? Oh, hey Draco! Interesting summer?"

"You could say something like that," said Draco. Blaise eyed him with raised eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," said Draco, not wanting to talk about Ella. Blaise didn't think of this as anything. He just shrugged his shoulders and carried on.

"Any sign of Crabbe and Goyle?"

"Not yet... I think they're on the train. Let's go look," said Draco. Blaise followed him through the crowd and towards one of the cars. Draco saw numerous other Slytherins that he knew, but he wasn't exactly interested in them. All he wanted was to get back to his dorm room at Hogwarts. The train left in ten minutes and he was hoping to get a seat.

They boarded the train and walked down the rows, checking compartments for Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy. As they moved, they took amusement in scaring the new first years. They would occasionally pop into a compartment and yell random questions at them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Draco yelled at a little blonde-haired boy who was attempting a spell for his friends. The little kid blushed and tried to hide his wand from view. Blaise was quicker, however, and snatched it from him.

"Give it back!" yelled the little boy. He was near tears. Draco could see it. For a moment, Draco saw himself as a first year. Self-conscious, scared, and just trying to fit in. Draco thought of what Ella would think if she was watching this scene. He sighed and grabbed Blaise's arm and lowered it, taking the wand with him. He handed it back to the boy and turned from the compartment.

"What was that all about?" said an angered Blaise. Draco ran his fingers through his hair and turned away from him. He kept going with their search. He really didn't want to talk about Ella with any of his friends, or the effect that their short romance had had on him. He learned to question his actions, think before he spoke, and care more about others than himself. Well, maybe not so much that last one...

Finally after another five minutes of avoiding Blaise and his questions of Draco's sanity, they found the other three friends. Sitting in nearly the last compartment on the train was Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"Draco!" yelled Pansy as she jumped from her seat and wrapped him in a hug, pinning his arms to his side.

"Uh, hi Pansy," said Draco unenthusiastically. He shook her off and took a seat between Crabbe and Goyle. Without thinking much about it, he began to rub the ring that Ella had given him.

"Oh my goodness, my summer was _so_ fabulous! Mother and I went shopping in Rome and I went to America..." Pansy said as she began to relive her whole summer even though no one had even asked about it. Draco sighed and closed his eyes.

For the next twenty minutes, the four boys fought the urge to sleep as Pansy talked about the _fabulous_ leopard-print dress that she had purchased for a large sum of money. Then, they all heard a tap on the train window. This was rather strange, considering that the train was moving awfully fast. It was a large, snowy-owl. Draco didn't stir from his seat and let Blaise open it for him. The owl flew in and landed on Draco's lap, startling him.

This owl was a very beautiful one. Nearly all white with big, blue eyes. Draco recognized her instantly by the leather collar she wore around her neck. He turned its tag over to make sure his assumptions were true. He began to read its information.

_Eros_

_Property of the Stone Household_

Just as he had suspected. Ella's owl had managed to find him. He looked down on her leg and, sure enough, a piece of parchment was tied neatly to it. He stroked her head and carefully let her go out the window.

Sitting back down in his seat, he looked upon the letter. He was slightly angered that she hadn't attempted to contact him earlier. That emotion quickly faded when he saw her neat, loopy handwriting written in her trademark pink ink. Turning it over, he pulled carefully at the seal.

"Who's that from, Draco?" said Pansy. Draco ignored her as he pulled the letter from its envelope. Everyone in the car was staring at him, but he didn't care. The letter inside was short, as if she had written it in a hurry.

_Dear Draco,_

_Sorry it has taken me so long to write. I've been having to deal with letters I didn't bother responding to, unpacking, and all the other nuisances of life. Tell me, how are you?_

_All my love,_

_Ella_

He re-read the letter a few times. Why had that simple question stirred a whole new set of emotions in him? _How are you?_ How was he? He wasn't miserable. He wasn't feelings heartbroken, or in pain. He was melancholy. Yes, maybe that was the word.

"Who was that from?" asked Pansy. _Can't you ever keep your up-turned nose out of other people's business for a change? _Draco thought to himself.

"No one special," he said, pocketing the letter. None of them seemed to believe him. He was saved from this predicament when Glen Rutherford, a Chaser on the Slytherin team, came into their compartment.

"Hey boys! Oh, and Pansy," he said. Glen was a rather lanky kid with perfect brown hair and brown eyes. He could play Quidditch like it was nobody's business and had been added to the team last year. "How were your summers?"

"Oh, mine was _wonderful_-"

"Yeah, we all heard about it already," said Draco, who was annoyed with her endless chatter. How could he possibly have dated this woman?

"Well, Draco, you've been awfully quiet. What about _your_ summer?" she said. She stuck her nose up at him, crossed her legs, and waited for his answer.

"Um, well..." he said, not really wanting to talk about Ella. He was hoping to keep her away from his life at school. Oh Merlin, if people knew Draco Malfoy had a heart... they might take it as a sign the world was ending! "My aunt Dee got married at our house... just a bunch of mushy love rubbish. I went to Paris and saw the Bulgaria-France match up. It was an awesome game," he said. This caught Glen's attention, who was more avid in Quidditch than any of them combined.

"Really? I bet it was bloody brilliant! I read all about it in one of my magazines," he said.

"Oh it was. Bulgaria totally dominated!"

"Is that all?" said Pansy with a bored tone. Draco stared out the window and watched the countryside roll by. He had flashbacks of his summer.

_Ella kissing him sweetly on the lips in the lake..._ _Carrying her back to the house after their flight... Meeting Viktor Krum in the streets of Paris... Learning about her past... And finally saying goodbye..._

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's all."

Two hours later, the train rolled into the little village of Hogsmeade. Draco reluctantly tugged at his school tie and walked out of the door and off of the train. He saw the giant-of-a-man, Hagrid, leading the first years off towards the lake. It wasn't raining yet, but it was still cold enough to wear a cloak.

He led the way as his fellow Slytherins followed him up the path to the horseless carriages. His attempts to shut out Pansy had been worthless and she had somehow ended up sitting next to him the last part of the train ride. He would most definitely have to scold whoever allowed this to happen.

When they finally reached the top of the hill, he realized that the horseless carriages were mainly full. They sat four to a carriage, so they would have to split up. Draco and Glen went into one carriage and the other four set off to find someone to buddy-up with.

They hadn't actually realized who they had intruded upon until they had closed the door. When he looked across the seat, he realized that they were now in the same vicinity as Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.

"Sorry to intrude on whatever intimate moment you might have been having, but everywhere else was full," said Glen.

"Shove off, Rutherford," said Ron, his ears turning red. Draco thought of a comeback, but held it in. Glen looked at him with a confused expression. He had already noticed that the normally boastful Draco Malfoy had been nearly silent on the ride here. All he did the entire ride was read the mysterious letter that had arrived on the train for him. He couldn't help but notice that distance that he had all of the sudden. He elbowed him in the ribs.

"What? Oh! Yeah Potter, does your girlfriend find these secret meetings unusual?"

"Sure Malfoy, and does _your _little Bulgarian lass trust you now that you're back here?" said Harry. He saw the look of panic on Draco's face and knew that he had touched a nerve. Glen looked at him with a peculiar look, oblivious to who this girl was he had mentioned.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Draco, obviously lying. He averted his eyes elsewhere for the rest of the ride while the other three continued to throw insults at each other. Every now and then, one was thrown at him, but he tried his best to ignore it. For ten long minutes, his travel partners quarreled. He was relieved when they finally made it to the castle.

They unloaded quickly and were soon met by Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Together, they walked into the large front doors. Draco was met by the familiar smell of the castle. It was most definitely one that could never be forgotten. The mixture of fresh pastries, disinfectant, and the light mist of a Dung Bomb... truly remarkable.

They followed the rest of the older students into the Great Hall. It was glowing in the light of hundreds of enchanted candles. Draco, however, really wasn't in the mood to soak in the beauty of his school. All he wanted was to get up to his dorm, sleep, and get through the year as quickly as possible. Even his shiny new Quidditch Captain badge couldn't cheer him up. He had planned on writing to Ella as soon as he had received it, but he had held off. It had arrived only moments after she left. He thought that it might have seemed desperate if he owled her right away. Oh well, maybe tonight he would reply to her letter.

He quickly navigated through the crowds to the Slytherin table at the far end of the Hall. He sat down with a sigh and leaned his chin on his palms. Pansy plopped herself in the seat next to him. He rolled his eyes and did his best to ignore her.

While Draco waited for the rest of the school to get seated, Pansy continued to talk his ear off. He began to hum the tune of a muggle song that Ella had gotten him to listen too. Closing his eyes, he pictured her. All of her beauty, grace, elegance...

"SILENCE EVERYONE!" yelled Dumbledore, and everyone immediately got quiet. Draco, as usual, wasn't paying much attention to the old mans eccentric ramblings. He had never been too fond of Dumbledore. He was too much of a Mudblood lover.

"Students and staff, welcome back! I can assure you that this will be a most wonderful year of education, Quidditch, and competition. We are all aware of these dark times that lie ahead for us, and the best thing that we can do is arm ourselves with knowledge.

"Our job here at this school is to make sure that you are well prepared to deal with whatever may come your way. We can not protect you forever. Soon, you will be on your own.

"First years, for seven years this will be your home. If you were to ask any of our older students, I'm sure that they would tell you that this is truly a wonderful place to spend seven years of your lives. You will learn that the ability to use magic is a privilege, not a right. You have top-notch schooling, I can assure you.

"And finally, Mr. Filch has requested that I remind you that all Zonko's joke shop products are off limits to all students. Also, the Forbidden Forest is still out of bounds for all students who do not wish to die a most painful death.

"Without further ado, let the sorting ceremony begin!" he said to the applause of many students. The Slytherin table was nearly silent with a few of the younger students clapping. As you became an older Slytherin, you knew that it was expected of you to hate the Headmaster. The rest of the group scowled.

Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting hat on its stool and it began to sing its usual song. It was never the same two years in a row. Draco's brain hurt just thinking about how many songs it must have had to sing. Thousands maybe. Each original and unique to the new group of pupils and they would all remember what it had sang before they were sorted. All of them would search for a hidden meaning in the song, but would find none. It was just a song, and that was it.

Draco watched as she worked through the list of A's. A small, black haired girl was sorted into Slytherin and met with great applause. Every new addition to the house was a good thing in their eyes. It meant that there was one more pureblooded child in this world and that they were one more step closer to ridding this school of all the dirt of muggle blood.

Draco watched the ceremony with some intrigue. All of the first years looked nervous. Of course, he hadn't been nervous at all. He was certain that he was destined to be in Slytherin. The hat hadn't even touched his head before announcing where he would be residing.

When the sorting was over, Dumbledore said a few words. Draco didn't listen. Draco didn't acknowledge that there was anyone else in the room beside him. During the feast, he poked at the food on his plate, pushing it around to try and put it into a position he might find more appetizing.

With the end of the feast came, he realized that school had started. Summer was now over. And how was he? Had he decided how he would respond to Ella's letter?

Normal.

He was remarkably, bitterly, heartbreakingly normal.

**THE END**


End file.
